Midnight Confessions
by Kristinmw
Summary: Stacey Teller has had a crush on Opie since she was 8 years old. Now that she's all grown up, will she be able to get her man, or will it be too late by the time he finally comes around?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This story takes place a couple of years before the start of season 1, though I took some liberties on the time frame of when Opie went to jail because it worked better for the story. **

**Thanks so much to everyone for reading, and I hope you like it!**

** a BIG thank you to Brianuts for giving me the basic idea for this story! **

* * *

Opie Winston sat at the bar at the clubhouse of the Sons of Anarchy with Jax Teller, downing yet another shot in an effort to steady his nerves. He couldn't remember ever being nervous in his life, least of all because of a girl, but he couldn't deny the rapid beat of his heart and his left leg that wouldn't stop shaking. He glanced at his watch. She'd been gone five long months and there was less than an hour before she'd be back.

"You alright there, Ope?" Jax asked, watching his friend curiously. Opie jerked himself out of his trance.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled quickly, hoping Jax hadn't caught on.

"Are you boys gonna sit at the bar all night or are you gonna help get this place ready?" Gemma yelled from across the clubhouse, standing on a chair while she tried to hang a 'Welcome Home' banner from the ceiling. Opie hopped up quickly from his stool, welcoming anything that would take his attention away from his watch, while Jax followed him.

"Here, ma, we can do that," Jax said as Gemma climbed off the chair and let Jax and Opie affix the banner while she ran to the kitchen to make sure the food was ready.

"And get the prospect to give this place another sweep – it's disgusting," Gemma called to them from the kitchen. Opie looked around the spotless clubhouse and glanced over at Jax who rolled his eyes.

"Better do what she says," he said with a smirk, looking around for the prospect, "Hey, Juice!" Jax called, finally spotting him coming down the hall from the dorms. Juice looked over at Jax.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I need you to sweep the floors again," he said. Juice looked around the clubhouse in surprise, but nodded.

"Yeah, okay," he said, walking over to grab the broom. Jax and Opie went to help Gemma grab the food from the kitchen as people started pouring in through the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" Gemma stormed at her husband, Clay Morrow, as he led the group coming inside, "This place is a wreck and she'll be here soon!" Clay looked around, not seeing what Gemma saw, but threw his arm around his wife's shoulder, kissing her cheek.

"The place looks great," he said, "Everything's gonna be just fine for her." Gemma scowled, unconvinced, as she began barking orders at the rest of the club members, who quickly got to work. Fairly soon the party was under way with the music blaring, drinks pouring, and the usual half naked croweaters bouncing around hoping for a good time.

"She's almost here!" Gemma announced, glancing down at a text message on her phone. Opie felt his heart start beating rapidly and thought back to when Stacey Teller had become someone other than just his best friend's sister.

**_-10 MONTHS PRIOR-_**

The guard buzzed Opie through the security gate at the front of Chino State Penitentiary and Opie breathed a sigh of relief, looking around at his surroundings as a free man for the first time in five years. He'd done his time quietly and was ready to be back where he belonged – with his brothers. His father, Piney, as well as Jax, Clay, and Chibs had come to pick him up from the prison and he jumped into the van as soon as he saw it pull up, engulfed in pats on the back and cheers of welcome.

Opie settled into the front seat, catching up with the boys as they set out on the long drive back to Charming, CA and several hours later they were pulling into the drive of Teller-Morrow Automotive where the Sons of Anarchy clubhouse was also located. As he stepped out of the van he saw the rest of his brothers – Bobby and Tig, the new prospect he hadn't met but had heard about - Juice, and Clay's wife and Jax's mother Gemma.

There was another woman standing next to Gemma that Opie didn't immediately recognize. She was of average height but that was about the only average thing about her. He thought briefly that it might just be the five years of not laying eyes on another woman that made this one stand out so much, but shook the thought away as his eyes quickly scanned her tight body, covered by a tank top and jeans stuck inside a pair of knee high boots. Her hair was dark and wavy, hanging well past her shoulders and she had a huge smile on her face.

She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place where he knew her from until she ran up to him, engulfing him in a bear hug.

"Opes, you're back!" she exclaimed, and his eyebrows shot up as he heard the nickname.

"Stacey?" he asked in surprise as she took a step back from him, grinning broadly as she tilted her head up to look at him.

"Who else, silly?" she asked playfully. He stared at her for a second before recovering.

"You look… different," he said, trying to figure out when the girl he'd known since he was 4 – the day she was born, his best friend's sister, the girl that had followed him and Jax around everywhere as they grew up together, had gotten so hot.

"Well I haven't seen you since I was 16, now have I?" she asked, and Opie shook his head.

"Yeah, speaking of – I really loved all the visits I got from you while I was inside," he said, only halfway joking. She frowned.

"Hey, that's not fair – they wouldn't let me go," she said. Opie knew 'they' to mean her mother, Gemma, and her step dad Clay, "At least I wrote to you. All those letters you sent must have gone astray, eh?"

"Hey, I wrote to you!" he said, thinking back, "A few times," he amended, and she grinned, giving him another hug.

"Well you're back now," she said, "We've all missed you." He grinned at her as he was pulled away by the boys and into the clubhouse to start the celebration of his return.

Opie couldn't keep his eyes off of her all night, no matter how many tits and pussy shoved themselves against him. He couldn't believe what 5 years could do to a girl. This was the same girl he'd known since the day she was born, who after the death of her younger brother had latched onto him and Jax, following them everywhere, who had had such an obvious crush on him that he'd always ignored. He'd enjoyed the attention, but had never thought of her as anything other than Jax's kid sister.

Not anymore. He caught her eye from across the room, where she was sitting with the prospect. She smiled at him, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks as he grinned back at her. He found himself annoyingly jealous of the new prospect as he said something to her, bringing her attention back to him as she laughed at his comment. Opie stood up, making his way over to the bar where she sat, brushing off the whores as they clambered for his attention. She smiled as he approached, jumping up to walk behind the bar.

"You want a beer?" she asked. Opie glanced at the prospect, who immediately looked fearful.

"The prospect can get it, come over here," he said, as Juice hurriedly scrambled from his seat to run behind the bar. He handed Opie a beer as Stacey took her seat next to Opie.

"So you having fun on your first night as a free man?" she asked, leaning forward slightly and crossing her legs towards him. Opie looked at her, unable to stop his eyes from doing a quick roam of her body, lingering on the cleavage her tank top was doing nothing to conceal. Those tits had definitely not been there when he left. He reminded himself furtively that this was his best friend's sister, his president's step-daughter who, since her dad had died when she was 11, had practically raised her.

"I am now," he said, leaning towards her. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment before she released it, smiling at him.

"Good," she said.

"So tell me about the last five years," he said, taking a sip of his beer. The thought occurred to him as she shrugged that she was way too hot to still be single. He thought of some unnamed, faceless asshole getting to touch her, kiss her… his hand started shaking and he instinctively grabbed his beer to steady it as she started going into all that had happened while he'd been locked up. Graduated high school, going to be starting her final year of college at Pacific in Stockton in a few days, studying animal science, thinking about going to vet school, that she was thinking about studying abroad during the spring semester. So far, no mention of a boyfriend.

"Most everything else I wrote to you in the letters," she said as she wound down her succinct saga.

"I kept them all, you know," he told her, waiting for her reaction. Her features slowly softened as her eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

"My letters?" she said. He nodded.

"You were one of the few who really wrote to me," he said as he watched a blush creep over her tanned skin. She bit her lip nervously, drawing attention to her mouth, causing Opie to think of all the things he'd like to do to that mouth. _'She's Jax's sister,'_ he reminded himself as he looked away.

"Well… I missed you," she admitted. Opie grinned. It was true that he still had every letter she'd ever written him. They'd started off as the ramblings of a 16 year old girl in her junior year of high school and had matured into thoughtful insights on the world around her. The letters showed how well spoken and funny she'd become over the last 5 years and he might have been bad at writing back, but he'd always looked forward to them. After all, they were some of the few letters he'd received inside; even his own mother refused to write to him. The guys would all come down to visit him regularly, but few of them were letter writers. He had to admit, her letters had made him look forward to seeing her again, but he'd had no idea what exactly he'd be seeing.

"So… are you dating anybody?" he asked, hoping the question would come off as mildly curious instead of the desperate need-to-know that he felt. She smiled knowingly at him, slowly shaking her head.

"No one special," she responded and his eyebrows creased briefly before he tried to force his expression into one of slight indifference. What the hell does 'no one special' mean?

Jax chose that moment to walk up, snapping at Juice to get him a beer before turning to Opie.

"Pool?" he asked, his head jerking at the table where a couple of hang-arounds were in the middle of a game. Opie glanced back at Stacey, his immediate reaction to Jax being a resounding _no_, but quickly reminded himself once again she was off limits and Jax was probably doing him a favor by pulling him away.

"Yeah, sounds good," he replied, not missing the briefest hint of disappointment that crossed Stacey's face before she covered it with a grin.

"You sure you wanna take on my brother? He's got five years' experience on you," she said, teasing. Opie grinned.

"I think I can take him," he said, grabbing his beer and reluctantly following Jax over to the table.

Stacey watched as Jax barked at the two hang-arounds in the middle of their game to bolt and Opie started re-racking the balls. Her eyes rested on Opie as he removed the triangle and grabbed a cue stick a croweater was enthusiastically holding out to him. She sighed as she watched him smile at the stupid slut, stepping back to line up his shot. She turned around to grab her beer and chat with Juice; anything to get her mind off of Opie.

She'd had a crush on Opie since she was 8 years old. Ever since her brother, Thomas, had died at the age of 6. Her family had grieved hard for her baby brother, but it was Opie that had turned out to be her rock. At 12 years old, he'd been the shoulder she'd cried on, her brother being too far into his own grief that he couldn't find room for anyone else's. And then 3 years later, when her father too had gone with the grim reaper he so proudly wore on his back, Opie had been there again. She couldn't understand how her mother had moved on so quickly, one day in her father's bed, the next in Clay's. She'd resented it; resented Clay. She wanted her own father back, not a new one. Clay and her had gotten off to a rocky start, but with Opie's help, she'd finally been able to accept Clay into her family and into her heart, and grew to love him. She still knew who her dad was, and Clay wouldn't ever be able to take that place, but he made her mother happier than she'd ever seen her with her dad, and with Opie's guidance she began to realize that was what was important.

Jax had been older when their father died – nearly 16. He'd never see Clay as anything but his president and his mom's husband. But Stacey saw him as a father figure. He'd been there during her formative teen years – scolding her when she dressed too provocatively and holding her when she cried over a boy.

She knew she'd never have been able to get past all of that tragedy without Opie, who probably didn't even realize what he'd done for her just by being there for her, talking to her. She knew he knew about the crush he'd harbored for him, and she knew he had only ever thought of her as a kid. Their age difference had seemed worlds away when she was in middle school and he was in high school, but now that she was 21, it was nothing. Or at least, she hoped he'd realize it was nothing and know she wasn't a kid anymore.

She'd dated frequently, throughout high school and then while Opie was in prison, but she'd never grown serious with anybody. She always held that hope that one day Opie would come around. She compared every boy she dated with him, and none so far even held a candle. She knew he was her older brother's best friend and brother-by-club, knew that her step-dad was his president, knew that there was only the slightest chance he'd risk their wrath to be with her. But still she hoped.

She shook the thoughts away as she looked up at Juice, standing behind the bar and pulling several drinks for people hovering around. They'd grown to be good friends over the past month since he'd become a prospect for SAMCRO, though they both felt the friendship was completely platonic. She thought he was sweet and fun to hang out with, especially being closer to her age than anyone else around the clubhouse besides her brother, but there was nothing more there. He knew she was Clay's step daughter and he was too terrified of Clay to even consider crossing that line, but she was one of the few people that thought of him as 'Juice' instead of as 'the prospect', and it was a nice change of pace every now and then.

"I think I'm gonna head out," she said, as she turned her head slightly to glance at the pool table where Jax and Opie were playing, surrounded by croweaters just chomping at the bit for their chance with either of them. She resisted the urge to punch all of them in the face.

"What? You're leaving?" Juice asked, the disappointment written all over his face. Stacey shrugged.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll help you clean up this place in the morning," she said and he grinned, knowing he'd be the sole person on clean up duty after the party.

"Alright, well, you okay to drive?" he asked, glancing at her half empty beer. She smirked.

"Yeah, I think I'll be okay," she said sarcastically, hopping off her seat and heading towards the door.

"Stace!" she heard someone yell, and jerked her head automatically at the sound of her name to see Opie shoving a cue stick at some croweater and walking over to the railing by the doorway. Her heartbeat increased and her breathing shallowed as she watched him make his way over to her.

"You taking off?" Opie asked and Stacey glanced over his shoulder to see Jax watching them curiously.

"Yeah…" she said, her voice trailing off. There were so many unspoken words in that 'yeah' that she didn't quite know how to express them all_. 'yeah, I only came to see you and now you're preoccupied'_ would have been the best one. But she just lowered her eye lids, flicking them up hesitantly to look into Opie's face.

"Okay, well, I'll see you around, right?" he asked and Stacey nodded.

"Definitely," she said, beaming at him. Opie paused as if he was about to say something, but thought better of it and just nodded back at her.

"Okay, well, have a good night. Drive safe," he said, lamely. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, I'll do that," she said before making her way out the door.

The next time Opie saw Stacey was a little over a week later. She'd started back at Pacific College in Stockton and was extremely busy with school. It wasn't until the next Friday night after church party that he saw her again. Once again, she was in the close company of the new prospect and he felt himself irrationally annoyed at their relationship. They were in the middle of a game of darts when Opie walked up to them.

"Closed 16!" Stacey shouted. She stood to line up her next shot, the dart held in her hand, as Opie moved to stand next to her. Her body jerked as she released the dart the moment she realized Opie was next to her. She watched as the dart bounced off the wall next to the board, nearly taking a hang-around's eye out.

"That doesn't count!" Stacey said as Juice laughed, walking over to pick up the fallen dart. She turned to Opie, "You messed me up." Opie grinned.

"Was I a distraction?" he asked softly, leaning closer to her. Opie's heart raced as he watched that now familiar blush creep across her cheeks as she smiled at him.

"Maybe," she said flirtatiously as Juice stood with dart in his hand. Opie glanced over at him, his eyes reading 'go away or I'll punch you in the face.' Clearly the new prospect wasn't too quick on the uptake as he handed the dart back to Stacey and remained hovering beside her.

"Beer," he barked at Juice, more to state his dominance than his actual need for a drink. Juice quickly ran to the bar to pull the drinks and Opie turned back to Stacey after Juice made himself scarce, noticing her lips pulled into an amused smirk.

"So how's it going," she asked, fingering the dart in her hand.

"Better, now I'm talking to you," he said and her blush deepened, "So what's with you and the prospect?" he asked, not quite able to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Who? Juice?" she asked in surprise, "Nothing! He's just the only person around here to hang out with besides my brother." Opie winced slightly at another reminder that she was Jax's sister, but was mollified to hear there wasn't anything between her and the prospect, at least.

"And don't be too hard on him. He's a great guy –really loyal. Like, lapdog loyal," she told him, "He's a good prospect."

"It's not really your business how we treat the prospects," he told her as she maintained eye contact with him.

"Yeah, this ain't my first rodeo," she said, reminding him of all the time he'd missed being in jail, all the prospects he hadn't seen come and go in his absence, "I'm just saying – don't be more hard on him just because we're friends." Opie shrugged noncommittally.

"Yeah, okay," he said stiffly. She looked at him, a confused expression on her face as she bit her lip in that way that drove him crazy.

"What's in your head right now?" she asked. Opie looked at her, trying not to pay too close attention to her mouth.

"Nothing that should be," he responded, looking away from her, around the clubhouse, trying to get eyes on Jax and Clay. He found them, each not paying him the slightest bit of attention. He looked back at Stacey who was grinning at him.

"Me either," she whispered, leaning dangerously close to him. Opie stood inches away from her, his eyes raking over her hopeful expression. A second later, he came to his senses and stood up straighter, turning slightly away from her, breaking away from whatever moment they were about to have. She followed his lead, a disappointed look flashing across her face. Opie cleared his throat.

"I should… go," he said, standing up. Stacey raised her eyebrows.

"You want to, or you should?" she asked. Opie looked at her for a beat, his eyes studying her, before finally replying, "I should." He sure as hell didn't want to.

They'd gone the next couple of weeks dancing around the tension that constantly existed between them. Opie tried to ignore it, but the way her cheeks flushed and she chewed on her bottom lip every time she looked at him drove him crazy.

A few days before Halloween, Stacey ran into the clubhouse with the news that she'd been accepted into the Study Abroad program Pacific offered and was trying to figure out where she wanted to go.

"I'm thinking Prague," she said, laying the brochures out on the table that Gemma and Clay were seated at as Opie and Jax watched mindfully by the bar.

"Hell no," Clay had stated, Gemma nodding next to him.

"What?" she asked, "Why!"

"If you're gonna do this shit, it needs to be within 100 miles of a chapter," Clay responded firmly. Stacey's face fell.

"Seriously? That leaves me what - Canada, the UK, and Sweden?" she asked. Clay nodded.

"Yup. Pick one of those," he said, and he'd risen from the table.

"Mom!" Stacey whined after he walked off. Gemma shook her head.

"That's how it's gonna be, baby," she said, rising and following Clay. Stacey frowned, gathering up the brochures scattered on the table and sticking them back in her bag. She looked over at Jax and Opie sitting at the bar and walked over to grab a beer and join them.

"Study abroad?" Opie asked as soon as she took a seat. She nodded.

"Yup, looks like it's gonna be Northern Ireland," she said, a touch of resentment in her voice.

"Good," Jax stated, and Stacey frowned at him. He shrugged.

"Look, we'll all feel better knowing SAMBEL can keep tabs on you, be close if something goes wrong," he said. Stacey sighed, annoyed.

"I don't need a babysitter," she grumbled.

"We just want to know you're safe," Opie told her softly, and she flicked her eyes at him, smiling slightly and nodding.

"Yeah? Okay…I guess it wouldn't be so bad having them close," she agreed. Jax frowned.

"What? I just said the exact same thing. He says it and it's suddenly okay?" he asked. Stacey looked over at her brother, startled, before turning back to Opie and winking.

"Pretty much," she said, hopping off her barstool and walking off to find Juice before she got herself in more trouble with her brother. Jax eyed Opie warily but didn't say anything.

The next month passed by in a blur. Opie had been determined to get back into the club after being gone for so long and had flung himself into that full force. It kept him busy and often times away from the clubhouse, which meant away from Stacey. He was thankful for that, hoping it'd be easier to get her out of his head if she wasn't around all the time. He'd been wrong, however. Stacey Teller had maintained a constant presence in his thoughts.

He knew he just needed to make it four more weeks. Then she'd be heading off to Ireland for five months and that would be plenty of time to forget about her and everything she was doing – maybe find another girl that wasn't his president's step-daughter or his best friend's sister. But it didn't quite work out the way he'd planned.

A few days before Stacey was set to leave for Ireland, Gemma and Clay held a pool party at their house as a going away party for her. She had moved back in with them for the few short weeks before she left, opting to do that instead of pay rent on an apartment she wouldn't be living in. This party was much more laid back than the usual parties at the clubhouse and Stacey was probably the only one there glad of the absence of the stupid sluts roaming around.

She swam to the side of the pool where her two friends from college, Kara and Leslie, were laying out in chairs and pulled herself out of the pool, quickly grabbing her bathing suit cover up and throwing it on before joining them. She knew she didn't have a perfect body and hadn't really been looking forward to being around Opie in her bikini, but either luckily or unluckily – whichever way you looked at it – he hadn't seemed to be paying her much attention all day. She glanced over at where Opie was sitting with some of the Sons on the deck that led to the back door. He'd come up to say hi when he first arrived, but after that she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him.

After a couple of hours, Kara and Leslie had to head back to Stockton and Stacey walked them out. She headed into the kitchen to pour herself a generous glass of wine and turned to walk out, running right into Opie and spilling her wine all over his shirt and all over her bathing suit cover.

"Oh my God, Opes, I'm so sorry!" Stacey said, her face red with embarrassment and her hand flying to her mouth. Opie shook his head as Stacey grabbed a rag and tried to get as much of the wine out as she could from his shirt.

"It's okay, really," Opie said, taking the rag from her hand and taking over.

"No, it's not, I can't believe I did that," she moaned, "I think Jax still has some clothes up in his old room. Come upstairs, we can see if there's any that fit you." Opie looked hesitantly up the stairs and then back at Stacey.

"Nah, it's okay," he said. Stacey shook her head.

"No come on, it'll just take a second," she said, walking towards the stairs. Opie hesitated and she turned to look at him, "Come on. We've got to throw that shirt in the wash or the stains will set." Opie nodded and followed her upstairs to Jax's room. She dug through a few drawers in his dresser before coming up with a few shirts and tossing them on the bed.

"Give me your shirt and try those on, I'll throw it in the wash," she said, holding out her hand as Opie slid his shirt over his head and handed it to her. She paused for a second, allowing her eyes to quickly roam across his broad shoulders and down his strong chest, her eyes lingering on the many tattoos inked on his body. Opie smirked as he caught her staring and she jerked herself out of the trance.

"Okay, um try those on. I'm going to change out of this so I can wash it too," she said, motioning to her cover up and turning to head out of the door. Opie glanced back at the t-shirts on the bed and grabbed one that looked to be the right size, throwing it on before walking out the door. The door to Stacey's room had been left open and he paused outside, watching as she slid out of her bathing suit cover up, her back to him. He'd tried his hardest to stay away from her today, knowing he just had to make it a few more days, but as his eyes roamed her body in her bikini, the gentle slope of her back that ended in a nicely rounded ass, he knew he'd just been delaying the inevitable. His raised his eyebrows in surprise as he noticed her tattoo that looked like a poem written across her rib cage – a tattoo she hadn't had before he went to jail.

He knocked softly on the door and she jumped, turning around to look at him as he leaned against the door frame. She hugged her stomach self-consciously and he smiled softly at her.

"I can't believe you're really leaving," he said, moving farther into the room. She didn't say anything; she was struggling to breath much less talk as she watched him walk towards her, his dark and hooded eyes never leaving her face. Her breath stuck in her throat as he ran his hands down her arms.

"Guess it'll be my turn to miss you," he said, his voice low. She was pretty sure her heart actually skipped a beat as she struggled to regain her breath, heat rushing through her body.

"You're gonna miss me?" she asked, biting her lip. He cupped her chin in his hand, causing her to release her lip.

"You have no idea," he responded, bending down to kiss her forehead before releasing her chin from his grasp. She reached out, grasping his tshirt in her hands, bringing him closer to her. She paused for a moment as his eyes searched hers, his face so close. She thought briefly of the party going on downstairs, of her step dad and her brother and what they would think if they walked in right now. She shoved the thought away as she tipped her chin up, inviting him to meet her before he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers, his arms holding her tight to him. Stacey felt her heart race, butterflies tumbling inside of her as she kept him close to her, restraining herself from wrapping her arms around his neck.

As their kiss deepened, all thoughts of the party downstairs erased themselves from her memory and she flung her arms around him, melting into his body. An involuntary moan escaped her lips as his hands moved down her back, cupping her ass. He lifted her up in one motioned and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her up against the wall. His lips moved from hers to her collarbone, trailing kisses along it as she arched her neck up, running her hands through his hair, completely lost in a moment she'd waited so long for.

His hands cupped her breasts through her bikini top as he lowered his head, laying kisses on the top of her mounds. She arched her back against the wall, her legs still wrapped firmly around his waist, the movement causing her to rub against his groin, feeling him grow beneath her.

"Opie…" she moaned as he moved from her breasts back to her neck. He growled into her at the sound of his name, looking into her pleading eyes. He cupped her ass again, kissing her deeply as he moved her to the bed. He set her down and she lay back, propped up on her elbows, looking up at him. He reluctantly tore his eyes from her body as he walked over to the door, shutting it gently. The point of no return.

He turned back to look at her, her expression full of excitement and need. He moved back to the bed as she parted her legs, allowing him to lie between them. She tugged on the bottom of his t-shirt and he finished the job, tugging it over his head and tossing it to the ground before settling back against her, skin against skin. He kissed her deeply and she leaned up into the kiss, parting her lips and allowing his tongue entrance as his hands moved down her body, feeling her tremble at his touch. He slipped his hand behind her back, pulling her up slightly as he pulled on the string keeping her bikini top tied to her. She ripped it off as it came undone and quickly pulled him back to her as one of his hands found her freed breasts. He rubbed his thumb over her nipple, feeling it harden immediately at his touch. She whimpered as he broke away from the kiss, bending over to take the nipple in his mouth, nipping at it lightly while his other hand worked its twin.

She reached down, fumbling with his belt buckle and zipper before finally releasing them both. He looked up at her, her eyes darkened with lust, silently begging him to fuck her, and he kicked off his jeans and boxers before moving back to her. His hand moved lower, cupping her pussy through her bikini bottoms, rubbing his fingers against her as she trembled at his touch.

"Opie, please," she whispered. He grinned, looking down at her.

"Please what?" he asked, his voice husky. She whimpered as he continued the gentle strokes on her pussy.

"Stop teasing me," she moaned. He shoved her bikini to the side, inserting his fingers into her, taking pleasure in how wet he'd made her as she gasped. He watched her squirm underneath him and the need to be inside of her, to feel her wrapped tight around him, intensified. He removed his hand, tugging on the strings of her bottoms as they fell apart and placed himself at her entrance. He paused, looking down into her eyes. He could feel the rapid beating of her heart, see the look of intense need written in her eyes, but knew he needed to ask the question before continuing.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, and as soon as she nodded her head he thrust himself into her.

"Oh God," she moaned as she felt him fill her. He paused, allowing her to adjust to his size before he pulled halfway out, easing his way back into her. He continued gently as he felt her hips buck under him, urging him on. He kissed her before cupping his hands under her knees and pulling them up so they rested on his shoulders and picked up his pace, pounding into her. Her hands flew up, gripping the headboard as he watched her bite her lip, struggling to contain her screams.

He reached down, his thumb finding her clit and he slowly drew circles around it as he continued thrusting into her. Her eyes widened before rolling back in her head, a guttural moan escaping her lips as he felt her pulse around him as she came, her hips bucking underneath him. It was too much for him and he felt his own release building to the surface before emptying himself into her.

He rolled over and she curled into him as her breathing began to steady and her heart rate returned to normal. She never wanted to leave his side, but knew that people were probably already wondering where they were.

"We should get back downstairs," she finally said, her finger tracing the tattoo on his chest and his arm circled around her. He looked up at her, nodding, running his hand down her arm.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he mumbled, not really wanting to face Clay and Jax after what just happened. He felt like it was a betrayal. He needed to talk to them about it, but with Stacey leaving in just two days, was now really the time to start something up with her? She'd be gone for five months, with her step dad and brother hovering around, knowing if he was fucking around with croweaters. Would she expect him to wait for her? A voice inside his brain told him he should have thought of that before he fucked her.

He patted her arm and she climbed off him, grabbing her bikini and tying them back on before throwing her hair in a ponytail. Opie rolled out of bed, getting dressed, one eye on Stacey.

"I'll, um, go get the washing machine going," she said, grabbing her wine-stained cover up and his shirt from where she left them on the floor and hurried out of the room. He followed several minutes later and walked downstairs to find Jax, Gemma, and Clay in the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" Jax asked, eyeing him suspiciously, "And why are you wearing my shirt?" Opie glanced down.

"Right, um, Stacey and I were… talking. And she spilled wine on my shirt, so she went to wash it and told me to grab one of your shirts," he said truthfully. _'And then I fucked your sister,' _he thought, before shaking it away.

By the next day, Opie and Stacey had still not talked about what had happened between them and Stacey began kicking herself for what an idiot she'd been to think that that was going to be the start of something more. She'd seen Opie with the croweaters; he was almost as bad as Jax. Was that all it was to him? Just sex? She knew there were obstacles where she was concerned – Opie wouldn't start anything without getting the okay from Clay and her brother – but she thought he might have at least tried. She also knew she was leaving the next morning, and starting a new relationship long distance was definitely not ideal.

But it wasn't like she was never coming back. It was only five months. Surely, if he really liked her and wanted to be with her, he'd ask her to wait for him while she was gone. They could keep in touch and then pick things back up when she got back.

But he didn't ask her. He barely talked to her. She was getting ready for Gemma to drive her to the airport and they'd stopped by the clubhouse so she could say good-bye to everyone. Opie watched as she ran around to everyone, tear-filled hugs and goodbyes and promises to keep in touch hovering in the air. And then she walked up to Opie, a shy smile on her face.

"Well, I guess this is it," she said, hoping this would be the moment he'd sweep her in his arms and tell her he'd think about her every second, and he'd talk to Clay and Jax, and they'd be together when she got back. But he didn't. He just nodded.

"I guess it is," he said, his expression giving nothing away to how he was feeling, "Have fun, Stace." She frowned.

"Have fun?" she repeated, "That's all you're going to say to me?" Opie looked at her, confused.

"Have...a lot of fun?" he said.

"Okay, yeah - I'll have _a lot_ of fun," she said. He frowned slightly, the meaning of her words hanging in the air.

"Well, not too much fun," he muttered.

"Why not?" she asked, prompting him. He looked at her, his shoulders sagging as he looked behind her at Clay and Jax. He just shook his head.

"Nothing," he muttered, "Have all the fun you want." He kissed her briefly on the forehead and walked off, leaving her standing, her heart breaking in two.

_**-Present day-**_

Opie's eyes were trained on the door to the clubhouse after Gemma announced Stacey would be there soon. He and Stacey hadn't spoken again since he'd left her standing in almost this very spot and his heart broke as he thought about that day. He should've explained more to her about why he wasn't trying to start something right then. Explained to her how he felt about her, how she made him feel. About how it was going to take time. How he needed to talk to Jax and Clay. But he hadn't said any of those things. It was easier to just let it all go and tell himself they'd talk when she got back from Ireland.

The door opened and he watched as she walked into the clubhouse beaming at everyone. She looked better than he remembered, wearing jean shorts and a black v-neck, her long, dark hair cascading around her shoulders in their characteristic waves.

"Welcome home!" everyone shouted, moving forward to engulf her in a hug. She shrieked in delight, her smile growing wider as she saw Juice run up to her. He threw his arms around her, lifting her up and spinning her around as she laughed, giving him a huge hug. It was then Opie noticed the man who walked in behind her. He was young, about the same age as Stacey, clean shaven with short blond hair. He was tall and broad-shouldered, filling out the button down he wore casually over a pair of jeans. Stacey glanced back at the man, smiling at him in a way she used to reserve only for Opie. When the crowd around Stacey had dispersed, Gemma came running up to her and Stacey threw her arms around her mom.

"I want you to meet the guy I told you about," she said to Gemma when they'd pulled apart, turning and grabbing the man's hand, moving him farther into the room. He didn't seem as nervous as most would be to be surrounded by a bunch of burly bikers. He walked up to Gemma with a confident swagger that would rival Jax's. He smiled at Gemma, holding his hand out as Stacey said, "Brad, this is my mom, Gemma. Mom, this Brad, my boyfriend."

* * *

**A/N I hope you liked it! I'm still working on Crushes and Conspiracy with AFSpouse on our joint account: Kristinmw AFSpouse, but we're not really sure if people are reading it/liking it/ etc, so we decided to work on some other solo projects in the mean time. **  
**I'd also like to recommend the story she's working on now: Doctor Feelgood. I'm loving it so far and it's definitely worth checking out :)**

**I pretty much covet reviews and they really make my day, so if you have a second, I'd love to hear what you thought! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews/alerts/favorites I got, and to everyone who read the story - I really, really love all of y'all sooo much! It definitely was so motivating that I've spent the past two days doing pretty much nothing but work on this story, hence why I'm able to update so quickly - so thanks for all of that! **

**One reviewer asked where Tara was, so I wanted to reiterate that this story takes place about 3-4 years before the start of season 1 so Tara is still in Chicago (Except again, I took some liberties in the time frame of when Opie went to prison because, well, it worked better that way!).**

**Also, I forgot to mention in the last chapter, I got the title of the story from the Grass Roots song of the same name - I thought it was fitting.**

* * *

Opie walked up to Stacey as she turned to walk to the couches with Clay, Gemma, and Brad. Stacey looked up at him, giving him an awkward hug and smiling sheepishly.

"Hey Opes," she said softly while Brad stood behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and then back at Opie, "Um, Opie this is Brad, my boy-"

"Yeah I heard," Opie cut her off as Brad appraised him.

"So this is Opie? I heard a lot about you," he said, his voice friendly but his eyes steely, as he held out his hand to Opie.

"Oh really?" Opie asked, glancing at Brad's outstretched hand but making no move to take it.

"Opie," Stacey said warningly and Opie briefly flicked his gaze to her before taking Brad's hand, each of them gripping the other's a little harder than was necessary before releasing their grip. Opie's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what it was but there was something off about his eyes. All he knew was he did not like this guy and he did not want him in his clubhouse.

"Oh yeah, Stacey mentions you quite a lot," Brad said as Opie's gaze once again traveled to Stacey, the hint of a blush making its way to her cheeks as she bit her lip nervously, causing Opie to fantasize about punching Brad in the face before taking that lip between his own teeth.

"Okay, well it was good to see you Opie," Stacey finally said as she laced her fingers through Brad's. Opie felt his blood boil at the sight as he nodded at Stacey.

"Yeah, you, too," he muttered as she led Brad over to where Clay and Gemma sat on the couches. Opie walked briskly to the bar, barking at Juice to get him a beer as Jax walked up to him. They each sat on a stool as Opie tried unsuccessfully not to glance at where Stacey was sitting, leaning into Brad as he talked to Clay, beaming up at him adoringly. That was _his_ look, that was _his_ hand Brad was holding. He took another swig of his beer and set it back on the bar, turning to Jax.

"Did you know she had a boyfriend?" Opie asked him. Jax shook his head.

"Nah, I didn't talk to her too much while she was away," he admitted. Opie glanced up at Juice standing behind the bar, knowing he'd been annoyingly close with Stacey.

"Did you know?" Opie asked him. Juice hesitated, then realized there was no way out of answering the question and nodded.

"Yeah, she called me a lot while she was gone," he said, and Opie's eyes narrowed. She hadn't called him at all. Not that he had been causing her phone to ring off the hook or anything. He'd thought about calling a couple of times; even had the cell number she'd given them all on a card in his wallet. But every time he picked up the phone to dial, he realized he had no idea what to say to her.

"What'd you talk about?" Opie asked, slightly nervous. He knew Juice was close to Stacey, and he wasn't entirely certain she wouldn't have told him what happened between them. But Juice's expression remained impassive as he shrugged.

"Oh you know, how was she was doing, how she was liking Ireland, what she'd been up to," Juice said vaguely, "That sort of thing."

"How was she doing?" Opie asked.

"Good," Juice responded. After noticing Opie's annoyed expression, he decided to elaborate, "It was a rocky start, you know, when she first got over there. Called me crying a couple times," he said. Jax frowned.

"What was she crying about?" Jax asked. Juice flicked his eyes to Opie before looking back at Jax and Opie stroked his beard nervously.

"I think she was just homesick," Juice said as Opie let out an inaudible sigh.

"So you knew when she started things up with this guy?" Jax asked, and Juice nodded.

"Yeah, she met him a few weeks into her trip. She seemed a lot happier after that," he said, and Opie frowned, glancing back at where Stacey was still sitting with Brad, smiling happily, her eyes sparkling like a kid on Christmas.

He wanted more than anything to take her aside, explain to her what had been going on in his head before she left, explain to her how much he liked her, how much he wanted to be with her. But he couldn't deny what Juice said – he really seemed to make her happy. Who was he to try to take that away from her? But the thought of letting her go on thinking she was nothing more than a one night stand to him made him feel like a lead weight had been dropped in his stomach.

A couple hours later, Stacey and Brad stood up, his arm firmly wrapped around her waist as she yawned, sinking into him. She gave Gemma and Clay a hug and left them standing with Brad to walk over to the bar.

"I think we're gonna head out," she said to Jax, who stood from his seat at the bar and gave her a hug.

"Glad you're back, Stace," he said, grinning at her. She smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, me too," she said as Juice came around and gave her a hug, too.

"You gonna come over and help me with those details tomorrow?" he asked her, grinning. She nodded.

"I can do that," she said, "Mom wants me to come by and help her out in the office, anyway, if I ever wake up. I'm so exhausted." She glanced at Opie, who stood. She gave him a hug, one that he would have gladly lingered, but she pulled away from him quickly.

"Okay, well see you guys later," she said, waving her hand as she walked back to Brad. Opie watched as Brad took her hand, smiling at her, and led her out the door. Clay walked up to the bar as soon as the door shut, looking straight at Juice.

"I want you to run a background check on that guy," he said and Juice rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I kind of already did," he admitted. Clay raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Yeah, as soon as she told me he'd asked her out."

"And?" Clay asked, impressed with the prospect's initiative and thankful to have someone looking out for his daughter, albeit slightly suspicious of his motives. Juice shrugged, shaking his head.

"He's clean, Clay. Nothing but a couple speeding tickets on his record," he told him.

"Alright well dig a little deeper, more than just his criminal background. I just want to make sure," he said.

"Any reason you're looking into him?" Opie asked, wondering if he, too, had sensed something off about the guy. But Clay shook his head.

"Stacey seems to really like him," he said, twisting the knife in Opie's heart a little deeper, "And he seems like a nice enough guy, but he's not pouring me coffee, he's dating my daughter. I want something more than first impressions to go on." Opie nodded his head in agreement as Clay walked off.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Opie was preoccupied all the next day as he worked on his Harley at TM. He couldn't get his mind off his dilemma and he kept running through various scenarios of him telling Stacey how he felt about her, most of them ending with some variation of her throwing her arms around his neck, telling him she'd break up with Brad and they could finally be together.

Because he knew now that's what he wanted. He wanted to be with her every second he could and he wanted more than anything for her to want the same thing. He would never forget the feel of her wrapped around him, how she smelled just after getting out of the pool, how soft her skin was as he ran his hands over her, how she'd always looked at him like he was the only man in the world – a look, he'd noticed, his insides twisting slightly at the thought, that she now used on Brad.

But he wasn't even sure if he deserved someone like Stacey. It wasn't just her amazing body he wanted to get with; she was also smart, funny, ambitious – he could go on and on with qualities he was attracted to in her. She knew what she wanted out of life and she went for it. Opie was afraid being with him would drag her down, make her forget her goals. Maybe this Brad guy was better for her – someone who wasn't an ex-con, someone with a future.

He looked over at Jax, busy working on an Impala near him. Jax was the only person he'd ever been able to talk to about girls without feeling like a total pussy, and he really wanted to be able to talk to Jax about Stacey. He'd been racked with guilt ever since the pool party last winter. He'd known Jax his entire life, they'd grown up together, done everything together, and he'd fucked his sister. That thought tore him up almost as badly as the thought of wanting to snap Brad's neck.

Stacey walked out of the office and over to the bay they were working in, smiling broadly at her brother.

"Alright, I'm out of here," she said gleefully as Jax wiped his greased up hands with a rag and hugged her.

"Where you off to?" he asked.

"Meeting Brad in Sacramento," she said, and Jax nodded.

"Okay, well you let me know if he ever needs his ass kicked. I'll be more than happy to be of service," he said, only half joking. Stacey grinned.

"Will do, big brother," she said, rolling her eyes. She glanced over at Opie, her smile faltering slightly, "Mom says you have some paperwork in the office you need to fill out on that Chevy you worked on this morning." Opie nodded, watching as she walked to her car, waving her fingers in the air over her shoulder in good-bye. He didn't pull his eyes away from her until she'd driven off the lot, when he finally turned back to see Jax looking at him curiously.

"What's going on with you two, Ope?" he asked, leaning against the car. Opie shook his head.

"I don't know what you mean," he mumbled, gripping the wrench in his hand.

"What happened with you guys before she left for Ireland?" Jax asked, and Opie nearly dropped the wrench.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not stupid. Something happened. She used to hang around you more than me, and now you guys barely look at each other," he said. Opie sighed. The moment of truth. He braced himself for the beat down he was about to get.

"Yeah, alright, something happened," Opie said as Jax crossed his arms, "At her going away party." Jax didn't move or speak, just narrowed his eyes, not liking where this was going. At Jax's angry expression, Opie changed the course of his confession.

"When I got out of jail and saw Stacey again, things… changed," he explained.

"Changed how?" Jax asked curtly.

"I… I really like her, brother," he admitted.

"So are you going to tell me what happened so I can figure out if I need to kick your ass or not?" Jax snapped. Opie nodded, taking a deep breath.

"We slept together," he said, dropping the wrench in his hand as Jax lunged at him, wrestling him to the ground. Clay walked out of the clubhouse, marching up to the bay where the boys were fighting.

"Hey!" he barked, "This is a BUSINESS. If you're gonna do that shit, take it into the ring." Jax stood up, seething as he stormed over to the ring, Opie following behind. Jax ripped his mechanics shirt off before climbing in as Opie did the same.

"My sister is not a fucking croweater," Jax growled at him, punching him in the face as Opie took every blow Jax dished out, not even bothering to defend himself, knowing this needed to happen if they were ever going to get past it. Jax finally worked out all his anger and climbed out of the ring, walking up to the picnic table and sitting on top of it. Opie grabbed a towel to wipe the blood off of his face before joining Jax on the table.

"Are we good?" Opie asked as Jax dug into his pants pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He offered one to Opie who took it, lighting up. Jax looked over the bruises forming on Opie's face and nodded.

"Yeah, we're good," Jax said. He took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly as he looked at Opie thoughtfully.

"So what now?" he asked and Opie shook his head.

"I don't know, brother. I can't get her out of my head. I just don't know what to do," he said.

"You had your chance," Jax said a little harshly, before softening his tone slightly, "She's happy now. You gotta just let her be." Opie sighed, nodding.

"Alright but if he hurts her, I'll kill him," Opie grumbled.

"You and me both, brother," Jax responded.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey drove the 45 minutes to Sacramento, excited to see Brad again. Things had been awkward between her and Opie ever since she got back, which was no surprise; she'd expected it. What she wasn't expecting were the butterflies that continued to dance around in her stomach every time she saw him. She knew she'd probably never completely get over Opie – he was her first love, the man she'd wanted since elementary school. But she also knew she needed to move on – his actions before she left had been proof of that.

And Brad was such a great guy, practically perfect. She'd met him during her first few weeks in Ireland, which had been miserable. She'd been so upset about the ways things had been left between her and Opie, had even tried calling him several times only to hang up at the last second. And then she met Brad and he was smart, thoughtful, and incredibly sexy – the guy all the girls at the school had wanted, but he had wanted her. He was the perfect guy to move on with and she had been extremely happy with him.

She pulled up to Brad's apartment and knocked lightly on the door, her heart racing as it always did when she was about to see him. He opened the door, smiling widely at her, and stepped back to let her in. She kicked her flip flops off in the entryway as usual – he was an extreme neat freak – before he pulled her into him, kissing her deeply.

"I've got a surprise for you," he whispered as they pulled apart. Her eyes lit up as she looked up at him, her arms still wrapped around his broad shoulders.

"What is it?" she asked. He grinned.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore now would it?" Brad asked, winking at her. She smiled.

"I guess not," she admitted. He walked over to the coffee table in the living room, grabbing a small package and handing it to her.

"Open it," he urged. Stacey tore the wrapping off the package to reveal a small box. She pulled the lid off the box and looked down at a silver Claddagh ring – an Irish symbol with two hands clasping a heart with a crown sitting upon it. She picked it out of the package and Brad took it from her, grasping her right hand and slipping it on her ring finger.

"It's a symbol from Ireland – to remind you of where we first met. And the heart faces inward to show that your heart belongs to someone," he said softly, looking up at her. She curled her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him.

"It's perfect," she sighed, smiling down at the ring on her finger.

"Good, I'm glad you like it," he said.

"I love it," she said. Yes, Brad made her very happy.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Several weeks later, Juice sat nervously at the bar at the clubhouse, one hand on his completely full beer and one eye on the door of the Chapel. His foot tapped anxiously. When that door opened, he'd either be a fully patched member of SAMCRO or… he didn't really want to know what happened to prospects that didn't get patched in.

He thought about all the members of SAMCRO. It had to be a unanimous vote and he knew for sure a few of them would vote for him. Chibs, Piney, and Bobby, definitely. Clay and Jax, probably. Tig, maybe. Opie… he wasn't sure. His friendship with Stacey might have ruined that vote for him, especially since becoming her confidante while she was in Ireland. He was pretty pissed at Opie for the way he treated Stacey before she left, and the more times he had to listen to her cry over him, the more pissed he'd get. But contrary to popular belief, he wasn't a total idiot. He wasn't going to say something to Opie and risk his patch. But he was still worried.

The doors swung open and Juice immediately stood, looking at all the grim faces that filed out of the chapel. A lump grew in his throat as his heart beat faster, looking from one patch to the next. If their expressions were anything to go by, he'd be lucky to leave the clubhouse with his life, much less a patch. Clay finally walked up to him, his face expressionless as Juice waited to hear his fate, the others standing in a semi-circle around him.

Clay's face broke into a grin as he handed Juice his patches, catcalls and cheers erupting from all around them. Juice looked at the patches in Clay's hand, stunned, as he slowly took them, looking up at Clay's face.

"Welcome to SAMCRO, brother," he said, pulling Juice in a hug as his nerves finally broke into relief and excitement and the guys around him all thumped him on the back.

"PATCH IN PARTY!" Tig hollered, his fist in the air as Chibs shoved a shot in Juice's hand. He took it quickly, grinning around at his new family.

Stacey and Brad stopped by when the party was in full swing and Stacey ran up to Juice, a huge smile on her face as she threw her arms around his shoulders, giving him a huge hug that he returned. Brad watched the display of affection, a scowl on his face.

"You did it!" she said excitedly and he grinned, nodding, "I knew you'd get in."

"Thanks, I wasn't so sure there for a little while," Juice admitted. Stacey shook her head.

"Nah, you were a shoe in," she said. When Juice had first started prospecting, she'd instantly liked him but wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle the prospect period. He wasn't as hard as the other guys, but then again, that hardness had probably developed over years of club life. Juice had shouldered the burden well, though, and after getting back from Ireland she hadn't had a doubt in her mind he'd be patched in.

"Where are your patches, I can stitch them on for you really quick," she said. He reached over to the bar where he'd set the patches after Clay handed them to him and gave them to Stacey.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he said appreciatively, shoving off his cut and handing her that as well. She beamed at them and took them over to the couches, sitting beside Gemma, Clay, and Tig. She dug in her purse for the sewing kit she'd brought with her and got to work on his cut. Brad walked up to the bar and asked a croweater for a drink before stepping back and appraising Juice.

"Congrats, man," he said, holding his drink up to Juice.

"Yeah, thanks," Juice said, taking a sip of his own beer. Brad looked over at where Stacey was diligently stitching Juice's patches and Juice followed his gaze, smiling when he saw Stacey.

"Stacey tells me you're good with computers," Brad said, sipping his beer. Juice shrugged, nodding.

"Yeah, I can find my way around them," he said. Brad nodded.

"I'm assuming you looked me up," Brad said lightly, still looking out into the crowded room. Juice frowned, not able to see where this conversation was headed.

"Yeah, I did," Juice said. Brad turned to him, his smile not quite reaching his cold eyes.

"You'll never find anything on me," he said, his tone almost daring Juice to try.

"Why's that?" Juice asked. Brad shrugged.

"Cuz I've got nothing to hide. I'm an open book," he said, "And while I've got you here, I feel like I should warn you that you're wasting your time."

"With what?" Juice asked, following Brad's gaze back to Stacey.

"Stacey," he said simply, turning to look directly at Juice, "She's mine." Juice raised his eyebrows in surprise at him as Brad winked at him before walking over to the couch Stacey was sitting on. Clay stood as he walked over and patted Brad on the back as he sat next to Stacey, kissing her lightly on the forehead before turning to look at Juice, smirking.

Juice narrowed his eyes. He wasn't jealous of Brad – he knew Stacey was hot, he wasn't blind – but he'd never thought of her like that. When they'd become friends, he was way too terrified of Clay and Jax to even _think _about trying anything with the girl, and his feelings towards her hadn't changed.

But something was off about Brad. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but he knew he didn't like the guy. He could try to charm his way into everyone's lives, and seemed to be doing a good job at it, but SAMCRO wasn't stupid – any guy in here would eventually be able to see through Brad's bullshit. But could Stacey? He hadn't had any time to work on Clay's request to dig deeper into Brad – he'd been so busy with club stuff that came first – but he was going to find the time now.

* * *

**A/N - I hope y'all liked this chapter! I always get so nervous when I post a new chapter so let me what you liked, what you didn't like - any feedback at all is sooo helpful! **


	3. Chapter 3

Stacey banged her hand on her steering wheel in frustration as she yelled at the car in front of her who was going at least 10 miles under the speed limit. She was driving back to Sacramento from Stockton, where she'd gone to meet up with Kara and Leslie for lunch, which had turned into lunch and shopping and a pedicure, and was now running late to meet Brad for dinner.

She was finally able to get around the slow car and sped until she saw the exit sign for Sacramento. She pulled up to his apartment several minutes later and knocked quickly on the door. He opened it, frowning at her as he stepped back to let her in.

"You're late," he said sternly as she walked into the apartment.

"Shoes!" he yelled and she jumped, quickly kicking her heels off in the entry way before walking back into the living room.

"I know I'm late, I'm so sorry. I hit a lot of traffic," she said apologetically.

"Well we missed our reservation," he said, still bristling. Stacey frowned.

"Well maybe next time you can come to Charming instead of me having to come out to Sacramento all the time and I won't be late," she retorted, crossing her arms. He narrowed his eyes at her, looking like he was about to say something, but his eyes softened and he pulled her into him.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he mumbled into her hair as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "Next time I'll come down to Charming. I've just been so busy with all of these construction jobs I've been getting. It's tough with you being so far away. I feel like I hardly get to see you." Stacey softened as she looked up and kissed him sweetly.

"I know, it is hard," she agreed.

"Maybe you should move up here, live with me," he said, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise, "I just mean, you'll be starting school in a couple months and Sacramento is a lot closer to Davis than Charming." Stacey thought it over. She'd been accepted to the veterinary school at UC Davis but had been planning on commuting to the school from Charming, which was over an hour away with no traffic. Sacramento would cut that commute to 20 minutes.

"I'll think about it, okay?" she said, and he nodded, not quite able to hide his annoyance at her hesitation. She picked up on it and curled her arm around his neck, running her hand through his short hair, "It's a big step for us. I just need to give it some thought," she explained. He smiled at her, kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Whatever you want, babe. I just thought it'd make it easier on you, and on us, that's all," he said. Stacey nodded.

"I'll talk it over with my parents. They're a little … protective. They're not gonna like having me so far away," she said.

"You're not a kid anymore, Stace. You're 22 years old – I think you can start making decisions on your own without letting your family run your life," Brad pointed out. Stacey shook her head.

"My family… we're not like most families," she tried to explain, "We don't just cut each other off the second we move out of the house."

"I'm not asking you to cut your family off – just to cut the cord a little," he said, and Stacey gave him an amused expression.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," she said, knowing he'd never understand her family dynamics, especially when it came to her mother. One did not simply 'cut the cord' from Gemma, "Speaking of my family, it's my dad's birthday next weekend, there's going to be a huge blowout for him. You need to come," she said. Brad hesitated and Stacey frowned.

"What?" she asked. Brad shrugged.

"I just don't really like hanging out with all of them," he said evasively.

"Why not?" she asked. Brad sighed.

"Every time I go there I feel like half those guys are just trying to get in your pants," he admitted and Stacey laughed.

"I promise you, that is not the case," she said. Brad looked at her, unconvinced.

"Even Juice? And Opie?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Definitely not Juice," she said.

"And Opie?" Brad repeated. Stacey shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, I'm with you, they all know that, and more importantly _I _know that," she said, avoiding answering the question. She had regretted telling Brad about her school girl crush on Opie ever since it slipped out in Ireland, when she had been telling him about her life in Charming. She hadn't expected it to make him so insecure and thanked the good lord she hadn't told him everything else that had happened between them.

"So will you come?" she asked, twirling her fingers through his hair and smiling at him sweetly. Brad grinned reluctantly, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Anything for you," he murmured, pressing her against the wall as he continued kissing down her neck.

"Hell, we already missed the reservation," she said, giggling.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey grabbed Brad's hand as they walked through the TM lot and up to the clubhouse the night of Clay's party. She'd been to a lot of SAMCRO parties in her lifetime and she couldn't remember one ever being as big as this. There had to be every Son from here to Washington in attendance, as well as the usual cornucopia of stupid sluts, all of them vying for the attention of any man in a cut.

She saw Juice by the picnic tables, several stupid sluts crowded around him, and smiled with pride as she saw the fully patched cut he wore on his back. He beamed when he saw her walk up, shrugging the girls away who all glared in anger as he ran up to Stacey, throwing his arms around her and picking her up.

"Ah I'm so glad you made it!" he slurred. Obviously, he had started the party much earlier. Stacey laughed as Juice set her back down, when he noticed Brad standing next to her.

"Oh, you're here," he said before he could stop himself. Stacey slapped him lightly on his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"Be nice," she warned.

"I'm always nice," he said, his eyes narrowed, not leaving Brad's.

"Oookay," Stacey said, pulling Brad away from Juice, "Sorry, I don't know what's up with him," she mumbled to Brad as they walked into the clubhouse.

"Baby girl!" Clay called as soon as she walked in the door. She and Brad walked up to where he stood with Jax, Opie, Tig, and Piney and gave Clay a huge hug.

"Happy birthday, Clay," she said, beaming at him, "Your present is at the house."

"Only thing I want is for you to celebrate with me!" he said cheerfully, and she grinned. It was rare to see her step-dad in this good of a mood, "And bring me a drink." She laughed and nodded, telling Brad she'd be right back as she made her way up to the bar.

Opie eyed Brad warily as he stood making small talk with Clay and Tig. He still didn't like the guy, but short of him having no criminal record and meeting Stacey in Ireland, he knew nothing about him. Growing up in the life, there were two adages he kept close at heart: Information is power, and keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

"You play darts?" he asked as Brad looked over, noticing Opie watching him. Brad raised his eyebrows slightly but nodded.

"Sure, a little," he said. Opie jerked his head at the unoccupied dart board as Stacey walked up with drinks. She gave one to Clay and held another beer out to Brad.

"We're gonna go play," Brad told her, taking the beer and nodding to the dart board as he followed Opie over. Stacey watched the two nervously, knowing this would probably end in some sort of pissing contest and not liking it.

Opie grabbed the darts stuck in the board and handed three to Brad, who stepped up to take his shot. Opie was annoyed to see he was pretty good and after Brad marked his points he took his turn. They didn't speak for a few rounds, each concentrating so hard on trying to outdo the other. Brad closed a few numbers and grinned as Opie stepped up to take his turn.

"You're not bad," Opie commented, aiming his shot. Brad scowled as Opie closed his bulls-eyes, smirking in superiority at the early lead, "Guess I'm just better." Brad grinned maliciously.

"Yeah, but if I lose, I'll have Stacey there to comfort me tonight and you'll just have to choose from the multitude of used up, loose pussy running around this place," he said, his voice friendly but his menacing eyes betraying him. Opie raised his eyebrows.

"Excuse me?" he said as Brad aimed his dart at the board. He lowered his arm to look at Opie.

"Don't give me that," Brad growled, "I see the way you look at her. But you were too slow – I got there first and she's mine now." Opie narrowed his eyes at him as he continued.

"It is a shame you didn't at least get to fuck her before I got there," he said, aiming his last shot and hitting the bulls-eye, "She's great in bed." The entire room disappeared and all Opie saw was red as he tossed his darts away and grabbed Brad's collar with one hand, punching him in the face with the other. Brad staggered back, touching his nose lightly. When he was sure it wasn't broken, he ran back at Opie, gripping him around the waist and taking him to the floor. Opie wrestled out of his grip, managing to get a few more punches in before he heard Stacey screaming.

"What the fuck are you guys doing!" she shrieked, running up to them. She grabbed Opie's shoulder, trying to pull him off her boyfriend. Opie stood angrily, shrugging her off as she ran to kneel by Brad, holding his face in her hands.

"I don't know what just happened," Brad said, looking into her eyes like a lost puppy, "We were playing darts and then he just attacked me out of nowhere." Stacey turned to Opie, glaring at him.

"Real nice, Opie," she snapped, helping Brad up. Opie glared at Brad.

"You've gotta be shitting me," he muttered angrily, his hands still clenched in fists. Stacey frowned at him, helping Brad onto the booth and walking over to Opie.

"Look I don't know what that was all about over there," she said quietly before Opie could say anything, "And I don't really care. I'm guessing it had something to do with me. But it's not fair, Opie – you can't toss me aside and then try to chase away every guy that wants to be with me."

"That's not what I was doing," he said, "And I didn't toss you aside!" Stacey looked sadly up at him.

"Yeah, Opes, you did," she said as the knife permanently lodged in Opie's heart ever since her return twisted a little deeper. She walked over to Brad, sitting next to him on the booth while she checked over his injuries and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Do not bring him back in this clubhouse!" Opie shouted at her as he stormed towards the door.

"Until I see a president patch on your cut, you're not gonna tell me who I can and can't bring in here!" he heard her shout after him as he pushed the door open to find Juice in the lot. He walked up to him, yelling at the croweaters surrounding him to disappear as Juice looked curiously at him, his buzz suddenly disappearing at the angry look in Opie's eye.

"Hey, Opie," Juice said nervously.

"Did you ever find anything on Stacey's asshole boyfriend?" he asked. Juice shook his head.

"Not yet," he said, looking around them and lowering his voice, "There's something strange, though. I wasn't sure if I should tell Clay yet or not, until I had more information."

"What is it?" Opie asked. Juice jerked his head for Opie to follow him to the office where they wouldn't be overheard by the many party goers still milling around outside.

"You know that criminal background check I told Clay about?" Juice asked once he'd shut the door behind them. Opie nodded, frowning at Juice's guilty look.

"Well I didn't have a social security number or anything to go on, so I was just searching for Bradley Peter Willises from the Sacramento area. There were only a handful and I was able to narrow it down to just one that was the right age and everything, so I just assumed it was him," Juice said.

"And?" Opie asked. Juice shook his head.

"It wasn't him," he said, "The first time I ran it I didn't really have a reason, just wanted to make sure Stacey was being taken care of, so I didn't really look it over too closely, you know? But when I went back after Clay asked me to look further into him, I searched the social that came up and it was a different guy. I can't find this Bradley Peter Willis anywhere."

"You sure that's his name?" Opie asked. Juice nodded.

"Yeah, I double checked with Stacey, just to make sure. I even got her to go into his wallet and write down his social security number," he said. Opie raised his eyebrows.

"She did that?" he asked, incredulous. Juice nodded.

"She took a lot of convincing. She really trusts that guy," Juice said and Opie frowned, nodding, "But then I told her that if she didn't give it to me Clay would probably rip off my balls and she finally got it a couple days ago."

"So what came up when you searched that social?" Opie asked.

"That's what's weird. Nothing came up," he said, "And I mean _nothing_. No bank account records, no family, no last known address,_ nothing_." Opie frowned.

"You ever run into anything like that before?" Opie asked, suddenly having doubts in Juice's hacker skills. Juice shook his head.

"No, it's like he's completely taken himself off the grid. I know there's something there, and he's so fucking cocky, thinking I won't be able to find it," Juice spat, taking a sip of his beer.

"So what do you think?" Opie asked. Juice leaned against the desk, thinking it over and shook his head.

"No idea. But I've got a feeling that guy's got an answer for everything," Juice said. He paused for a second, looking nervous again, before he said, "Do you think I should tell Clay what I found?"

"What? That you found nothing? Nah. Dig harder. When you've found something more concrete, we'll go to Clay with it," Opie told him. Juice nodded, relieved. He knew if he went to Clay with the nothing he'd found Clay would be up his ass to find everything out about it, and he was worried about what would happen if he couldn't deliver. Brad was proving to be a slippery motherfucker.

"Fucking hate that asshole," Juice muttered and Opie smirked. His sentiments exactly.

Opie debated telling Juice what Brad had said to him to set him off and thought better of it. He didn't know why, but in his head he felt like Brad had thrown down the gauntlet with his words and that this was a private battle between himself and Brad. He also worried that it would get back to Stacey and she wouldn't believe him – she clearly thought the sun shone out of Brad's ass. But Opie knew that he was no longer going to heed Jax's advice to leave her alone. She might think she was happy now, but sooner or later Brad's true colors would show and Opie wanted her to be long gone before they did.

"Alright, well keep looking. Let me know if you find anything, a'ight?" Opie said as he started towards the office door and Juice nodded.

"Yeah, I will," he replied.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey sat at the kitchen table the next day leafing through the course catalog of UC Davis' vet school, not able to focus on anything but the request Brad had made of her moving up to Sacramento when she started school in August. He'd reiterated it again after dropping her off at her parent's house, where she'd been staying since she returned from Ireland. She knew after his brawl with Opie last night that he wanted more than ever for her to get away from the club, and she couldn't blame him, even if she didn't share his desire to separate herself from her family.

Gemma walked into the kitchen in her robe and poured herself a cup of coffee, contemplating her daughter sitting at the table. She looked over her shoulder to see the UC Davis course catalog and sat down next to her.

"You picking out your classes?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee. Stacey jerked out of her trance to look at her mother and shrugged.

"Not really," she said, closing the catalog, "I'm a little distracted."

"That have anything to do with Opie beating up your boyfriend?" Gemma asked knowingly with one eyebrow cocked. Stacey laughed.

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" she asked. She was quiet for a moment before spitting out, "Brad wants me to move in with him in Sacramento." Gemma nodded, pursing her lips. She could've seen that coming a mile away.

"Clay's not gonna like that," she said, "And for the record, neither am I." Stacey sighed.

"I know, but he's such a great guy and I'm just afraid being around the club is going to drive him away," Stacey admitted.

"The club's a part of you," Gemma told her, "Distance isn't going to take it out of you. He don't accept the club, he don't accept you, baby." Stacey sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"Everything's just so complicated," she said, "It's not that he doesn't accept the club… more like he doesn't accept a certain member of the club. Especially after last night."

"You know what happened?" Gemma asked. Stacey shook her head.

"Not really. Brad said they were just playing darts and Opie just attacked him," she said.

"Doesn't sound like the Opie I know," Gemma told her.

"Yeah, well… nothing would surprise me about him anymore," Stacey muttered, more to herself than to her mother. Gemma regarded Stacey for a moment before responding, choosing her words carefully.

"You've known Opie your entire life. You've only known Brad 6 months. I'd be careful about where you place your loyalties so quickly," she said. Stacey glared at her mother. She had no idea what Opie had put her through, how much pain she'd been in until Brad had pulled her out of the dark hole she'd crawled into. But she knew she was never going to tell Gemma what happened. Stacey loved her mother, but she had a blind spot when it came to the club; they could do no wrong and every outsider was an enemy.

To her credit and Stacey's complete surprise, Gemma had been perfectly cordial to Brad every time they'd met. But she knew sure as she knew the sun would rise that Gemma would love nothing more than for Stacey to wind up with Opie, settle in Charming for the rest of her life, and have lots of SAMCRO babies. And honestly, the idea didn't sound too terrible to Stacey. If only Opie hadn't turned into such a colossal ass.

"I've gotta go meet Brad. He's going up to Davis with me so I can talk to some advisors about my classes," Stacey said. Gemma nodded, watching her grab her bag and walk out of the house. She was going to have to have a little chat with Brad if he thought he was taking Stacey anywhere.

* * *

**A/N I just want to say thanks again to all my reviewers and everyone who alerted, favorited, or just read the story! I can't tell you how much of a motivation it is to get so many reviews, so you'll probably be able to expect frequent updates because I wrote so much over the last few days. **

**Please continue to review! I want to know what you think, liked, didn't like, or just whether or not you liked it! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Oh my goodness you guys are so awesome! Thank you so much to all of my readers and especially those that have reviewed or put out alerts and favorites - I love all of you so much and they just make my day! I'm so glad so many of you are liking the story and I hope you like this next chapter! **

* * *

A week went by and despite Brad's promise that he'd come down to Charming more often, Stacey found all of her time being spent in Sacramento. She hadn't pushed the subject, however, as she felt bad about Brad being the brunt of Opie's outburst, but she missed her family. She hadn't spent any real time at home or at the clubhouse since the night of Clay's party and she desperately wanted Brad to be able to get along with them. Her mom's words had danced in her head for some time- if he doesn't accept the club, he doesn't accept you.

"I forgot to tell you," Brad said as he placed a DVD in the player and turned the TV on, "I'm going to visit my grandmother next week in Denver. I'll be gone the whole week." Stacey nodded, scooting over on the couch so he could sit down.

"That's sweet, I didn't know you had a grandmother," she said. He grinned.

"Doesn't everyone have a grandmother?" he asked. She laughed, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"You know what I mean – a grandmother still alive. I've never heard you talk about her before," she said. He shrugged.

"She's pretty sick, I don't like to talk about her much, makes me sad," he said. She gazed at him sympathetically, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well if you'll be in Denver all next week, I think we should go down to Charming this weekend," Stacey said as casually as she could. He looked down at her, frowning.

"No," he said shortly, turning back to the TV and grabbing the remote to hit play. Stacey frowned, taking the remote out of his hand before he could press the button to start the movie.

"What do you mean 'no'?" she asked curtly. He sighed, his extremely annoyed expression softening quickly.

"Look, babe, that place is toxic – for you and for me. I want you to stay away from there as much as possible," he told her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked at him sadly; he was clearly still so shaken up by Opie's attack. She reached out, holding his cheek in her hand, brushing her thumb over the shadow of a bruise that was still visible.

"Well, I can't stay away, but I understand you wanting to. I'll just go down by myself this weekend," she told him. His eyes narrowed and Stacey wondered if she'd imagined the malicious flash she thought she saw. She jerked her hand away from his face as though she'd been shocked, but as soon as she looked closer, his eyes were back to the warm and loving eyes he always looked at her with.

"No, you're not going down there without me," he said. She raised her eyebrows.

"Are you forgetting I don't technically live here?" she asked. He shrugged, looking around at all her stuff that had matriculated to his apartment the past few weeks.

"Doesn't look that way to me," he said.

"Well I don't. I still live in Charming, and I want to start spending more time down there," she insisted. He looked at her, shaking his head.

"I don't like you being down there," he said, pursing his lips. She smiled encouragingly at him, curling her arm through his.

"Are you still worried about Opie? Because it's not an issue. Like I said, I'm with _you_ – and they all know it. See, my finger even proves it," she said, holding out her right hand, the Claddagh ring still sitting proudly on her ring finger. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Either way, I'm staying at my parents this weekend and I'd love for you to come and hang out. We don't have to see Opie," she said. He shook his head.

"Nah, I'll change my flight and go over to Denver a few days early," he said, "You go see your parents, but I don't want you seeing Opie." Her eyes narrowed and he glowered at her, "That's not a negotiation. Promise me you won't see him." Stacey looked at him in disbelief.

"What? I can't-" she started.

"Promise me!" he barked. She looked at him sympathetically. She knew he was just jealous and if she was honest, he had every right to be. She nodded slowly.

"Okay, I promise. I won't see Opie," she said earnestly. He grinned, pulling her into him and kissing the top of her head as he took the remote back from her and played the movie.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie sighed as he grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat beading on his forehead, his thoughts on everything but the bike he was working on. He threw the towel down and walked into the cool air of the clubhouse, grabbing a drink at the bar before sitting in front of it. He took a sip of his beer, contemplating his plan and what he would say to Stacey when he saw her again.

The fact of the matter was that even if Brad hadn't turned out to be a total asshole, Opie still wouldn't have been able to rest until he told Stacey how he felt about her – something he should have told her last fall when he had completely fallen for her. But he'd been too much of a chicken shit to talk to Clay and Jax about it, and had allowed her to get swept off her feet by the first charming asshole that came along.

Until she was able to look him in the eye and honestly tell him she had no feelings for him, he wasn't giving up on her. But either way, Opie would be dead before he let that evil son of a bitch stay with her.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey flipped mindlessly through a fashion magazine as she sat on the couch at her parent's house, waiting for them to get home. Usually she'd be down at Teller-Morrow, hanging out with everybody but her mom had told her Opie was working today and she was trying to stick to her promise not to see him, for her own good as well as Brad's. The doorbell rang and she stood up from her perch on the couch to answer it, grinning as she saw the outline of Juice through the window in the door.

"Hey buddy!" she said as she opened the door and threw her arms around him.

"Hey, yourself," he said cheerfully, hugging her back before she stepped aside and he walked in, "Heard you were back." Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, sorry I've been MIA lately," she said, "Been spending a lot of time in Sacramento with Brad." Juice nodded as Stacey led him over to the couch in the living room.

"So how're things going with him?" he asked, trying to sound merely interested and not like he was trying to coax information out of her about her boyfriend. He'd been having a really hard time finding any information on Brad, if that was even his real name. Juice suspected that it wasn't, but he had no leads, no way to find out who he really was. He felt a little bad about trying to trick Stacey into giving up anything that could help him find out more about Brad, but he kept reminding himself he was doing it for her.

"Really good," she replied, smiling at him, "He's the best." Juice smiled.

"Glad to hear it," he said, "So why didn't he come down with you?"

"He flew out to Denver to visit his grandmother," Stacey replied, "Says she's real sick."

"Oh, he's got family out in Denver?" Juice asked, latching onto the information. Stacey shrugged.

"I guess so," she said.

"Doesn't he ever talk about his family?" Juice asked. Stacey shook her head.

"Not really, I get the feeling he doesn't get along with them very well," she said.

"What gives you that feeling?" Stacey tilted her head, looking at him.

"I dunno, he's never mentioned them and when I used to ask about them he'd just change the subject. Just seemed like he didn't want to talk about them," she replied. Juice nodded, thinking.

"So I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to him a whole lot, I don't even know much about him," he said in a desperate attempt for her to tell him anything she knew. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Didn't I give you his social so you could run a background check on him?" she asked. 'Shit' Juice thought, looking wildly around the room, trying to cover his tracks quickly.

"Oh, yeah, but I just pulled his criminal record, you know," he said, "And since he doesn't have one… I didn't learn much." She shrugged.

"Not much to know, I suppose," she said, "He moved around a lot, came to Sacramento for college, graduated from Sacramento State this May." Juice nodded, thinking he might try school records and see if he could find anything.

"So you've been together what, 6 months now, and that's all you know about the guy?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light-hearted but inside wishing Stacey had been born with the Teller 'don't trust anyone' gene, which she clearly had not.

When he first met her that had actually been something he'd liked about her– the fact that she could make friends easily and without suspicion, enjoy relationships with friends outside of the club without constantly feeling the need to watch her back. He supposed that stemmed from when her father was alive. She'd told him he had kept her as far away from the club as possible, and tried to give her as normal a life as he could. It wasn't until her mom had married Clay that she'd even stepped foot inside the clubhouse. But times like this made him wish she was a little less open with herself and a little more guarded when it came to strangers.

"I know a lot about who he is now," she said defensively, "We just don't talk about our past all that much."

"So who is he now? Where does he work? What does he do for fun?" Juice asked, throwing questions at her. She frowned.

"What's really going on here?" she asked. Juice sighed; annoyed that she could pick up on every little thing when it came to him, but when it came to her asshole boyfriend she was completely oblivious.

"Nothing, I just want to know more about him," he insisted. Stacey looked at him intently.

"Why?" she asked, "Is this about Clay? I really need to talk to him. Just because my mom married him doesn't mean he has to know every little thing about my life." Juice looked dubiously at her and she sighed.

"Fine, whatever," she said, knowing it would be easier to just answer the questions than argue with him about it, "He does free-lance construction jobs but he's trying to find a job using his business degree," she said briskly, "And he hangs out with me for fun."

"Free-lance construction jobs?" Juice said. That didn't sound like something he'd find a W-2 for. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, it keeps him pretty busy, actually," she said.

"How does he find the clients?" he asked. Stacey shrugged.

"Word of mouth, mostly, I think," she said.

"How does he get paid?" he asked.

"Jesus, Juice, what is with the questions?" she asked, her patience wearing thin.

"Just answer the question," he said, trying to keep his voice from becoming demanding.

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on," she insisted. Juice looked at her, wondering how much to tell her this early in the game. So far, he hadn't caught Brad in a lie, mainly because he had less than zero information on him. Stacey most definitely wouldn't believe his suspicions.

"Criminal background comes up with financial information. No job was listed, so I'm just wondering if he gets paid under the table or if he works for one major company that uses him like a contractor," Juice told her. Stacey rolled her eyes.

"God you guys are all so fucking nosy," she mumbled, "I don't know. I guess probably under the table because he's always got a stack of checks on the counter from random people. What are you going to go report him to the IRS now?" Juice grinned, striking gold, and shook his head.

"Nah, darlin', you know we're all just looking out for you," he told her. She sighed, not being able to resist smiling back at his goofy grin.

"I know, but you don't need to worry. He's a great guy and he treats me better than anyone I've ever been with," she told him. Juice nodded.

"Glad to hear it. You let me know if that changes," he told her, suddenly looking at her sternly.

"Of course. You'll be in line right behind my brother to kick his ass," she assured him, then scowled, "Well, I guess you're all in line behind Opie."

"What does Jax think about him?" Juice asked, ignoring what she said about Opie. Stacey shrugged.

"You know Jax – he's all wrapped up in his own shit. I don't think he really has an opinion either way about Brad, unless he hurts me," she said, "It's not like they're ever going to be drinking buddies or anything like that." Juice nodded.

"So when did you say Brad leaves for Denver?" Juice asked.

"His flight left this morning," she told him and he nodded.

"Alright, well I should be going. I'll see you later, okay?" he said, standing up and pulling her into a hug again.

"Yeah, okay. Let's have lunch or something tomorrow. And no more questions about Brad," she said. Juice nodded.

"Yeah yeah," he said, "I'll see you at the clubhouse later, right?" Stacey shrugged.

"I probably won't be spending a lot of time up at the clubhouse," she told him. He frowned.

"What? Why not?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Just… don't really feel like it," she said evasively, not really wanting to tell him she was avoiding Opie, "But come over anytime, or call me and we'll get a drink at the Hairy Dog or something."

"Yeah, alright," he said, kissing the top of her head before showing himself to the door.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Juice pulled up to Brad's apartment, looking around cautiously as he checked the address with the one Clay had written for him on a scrap of paper. He knew Stacey wouldn't have given him the information but had hoped Clay had at least done his due diligence as her step-father and gotten the address from her, as she spent so much time up there. He'd been right, and Clay had copied the address down for his as soon as he had asked for it. Juice had then hacked into every airline database he could and had confirmed that, surprisingly, Brad had told the truth and he really was checked into a flight with United Airways to Denver that landed several hours ago.

He walked up to the door, trying to seem nonchalant as he dug in his pocket for his bump-key before sliding it into the lock. He sighed with relief when he heard the lock click and quickly stepped into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He flipped the light on and looked around the apartment. Dude was clearly a neat freak, borderline OCD. There wasn't a single thing out of place. He hoped that would make his hunt easier.

He looked around the kitchen – Stacey had mentioned the checks were usually sitting on the counter, but the counter was clear. He opened several drawers, careful not to disrupt anything as he dug through them. He was eventually forced to realize that the checks were not in the kitchen any longer. He prayed they were still in the apartment somewhere and he hadn't already deposited them.

He made his way down the hall and into the first room he came to, which looked like a small study. This room was exactly like the living room – completely spotless and tidy. He walked over to the desk and looked around, practically shouting 'Eureka' as he opened a file to see several personal checks stuck in there. He grabbed a notepad he'd brought with him out of his pocket and a pen from the desk as he looked through the checks. None of them were made out to Brad Willis; most were all made out to a company called CZ Construction and a few were made out to names he didn't recognize. He frowned, scribbling down every name, account number, routing number, and bank name for every check in the file. He replaced them quickly, making sure they were still in the same order he'd pulled them out in, and shoved the notepad into his pocket.

Wherever these checks were deposited, he'd know. And he'd also be checking out 'CZ Construction,' especially its financial records, as well as run those unfamiliar names through his database and see what he could find. He grinned to himself as he showed himself out of the apartment, locking it behind him. He had a feeling he just might be able to get the information he was looking for now.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie sat on his bike outside Clay and Gemma's for several minutes before finally mustering the courage to walk up to the door. He knocked softly and waited as he saw her outline walk up to the door. He saw her hesitate as she realized who he was, before finally opening the door, peering up at him through the crack.

"Opie?" she said in surprise.

"Hey Stace," he said softly, "Can I come in?" She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip like she always did when she was nervous. It still drove him fucking crazy.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Ope," she said. Opie sighed, looking around.

"I really need to talk to you," he said, his voice urgent. He could see the conflict dancing behind her eyes before she finally gave him a small nod, opening the door wider and letting him in.

"Just… make it quick," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest as they stood in the entry way. She raised her eyebrows expectantly as she waited for him to say what he came here to say. He paused, looking at her, unsure of where to begin.

"What you said to me, about tossing you aside-" he began.

"What I said to you right after you beat up my boyfriend for no reason," she amended curtly. Opie sighed.

"I'm really sorry about how that all went down, and I had a reason, trust me, but I don't want to get into all that today," he said. She looked at him stonily, like she was preparing for an argument but thought better of it and let him speak, "I just needed you to know… I never wanted to toss you aside. I can't tell you how sorry I am you feel like that. It fucking kills me." She stared at him for a moment, letting his words sink in.

"How else am I supposed to feel?" she asked, her voice shaking, begging herself not to start crying. She hadn't ever expected an apology from him about that; had thought she'd read his actions loud and clear, "We slept together. And then you just… ignored me." Opie stroked his beard, nodding, his eyes filled with remorse.

"I know, Stace, I know I was shitty about the way I handled things with you. I wanted to talk to you about it, tell you how I felt about you, but I just kept thinking about Clay and Jax and it was so soon before you left and I wasn't sure about the whole long distance thing," he started rambling, "I was an asshole. I know that. But I need you to know you weren't just some one night stand." He paused, trying to get his train of thought back, knowing he needed to get the words out or he would continue to be haunted by them.

"The truth is there hasn't been a day since I stepped out of that van last August that I haven't thought about you and wanted you and that day, at your house – that fucking meant something to me. And I've never said that to anyone in my life." He focused on her, trying to gauge her reaction. She was chewing on her bottom lip again, but he noticed it shake slightly. She took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling.

"I care about you, so fucking much, Stace. I might even fucking love you, I don't know," he continued, shocked at the words coming out of his mouth as her eyes returned to his and her lips parted in surprise. All the air in her lungs seemed to disappear and she couldn't breathe.

"What?" she finally managed in a near whisper. Opie sighed, taking a step closer to her, staring into her eyes, searching them.

"I don't know, I've never loved anyone before. But I've never felt like this about anyone else before either and I couldn't stand you not knowing that, thinking I'd just… tossed you aside," he said as she hurriedly brushed an escaped tear off her cheek, understanding what a big deal it was for him to tell her this. Growing up with SAMCRO, not a whole lot of feelings were ever discussed. Her eyes moved all around the room, landing on the ring on her right finger – the symbol that her heart belonged to someone else – before finally returning back to Opie, wishing she could give him a different answer.

"Opie," she said, trying to give time for her voice to steady, "God, I wish… I wish you'd told me all of this sooner. It's just… it's too late now, I'm with someone else." Opie tried to keep his face straight, tried not to let it distort and show the pain he felt.

"You don't have to be," he said. She gave him a small, sad smile, shaking her head.

"I'm not with him to hurt you, or get back at you, or as a rebound from you," she said, "I'm with him because he makes me happy, Opes, I'm _happy_ when I'm with him."

"Do you love him?" he asked her, not breaking away from her gaze. She bit her lip as he took a step closer to her, now only inches apart. She continued to look up at him.

"I don't know, Opes," she said honestly. He nodded, bracing himself to ask the question he knew he needed answered.

"Can you honestly tell me you don't have any feelings for me?" he asked. She tried to look away from him but he cupped her chin lightly, bringing her gaze back to him. Whatever her answer was, he needed her to look him in the eye when she gave it.

"You know I can't," she said finally, and he lowered his hand, "But it doesn't matter. Like I said, I'm with someone else, someone who makes me happy."

"He's not the guy for you Stacey," Opie told her, having to stop himself from spilling every thought he had about Brad, knowing it would just piss her off and push her farther away. Stacey shrugged.

"Maybe… maybe not," she told him, "But you and me… it shouldn't be this difficult."

"So you're picking him because he's the easier option?" Opie asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"I'm picking him because he's never made me cry," she snapped back. Opie ran a hand through his hair, finally breaking his gaze with her.

"Look, I'd still… I'd still like to be friends," she said, realizing as she said it how lame the words sounded coming out, but knowing, despite her promise to Brad, that she wouldn't be able to stand not having Opie in her life. Opie shook his head.

"I don't want to be friends with you," he told her solemnly, "I can't." he turned to walk out of the house.

"Opie!" she called after him, her voice cracking. He turned to look at her, one hand on the doorknob as she walked up to him, "I'm sorry." He smiled sadly at her as he kissed her forehead.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, Stace, and believe me, I am," he said, walking out the door and back to his bike. She watched him pull away from the curb, streaking down the street before closing the door and leaning against it, finally allowing herself to cry.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey spent the next few days in Charming avoiding the clubhouse like the plague. Her brother and Juice had both pestered her to come down but she'd always had an excuse ready for them. They didn't bother her too much about it, they were both busy with their own stuff, but her mother was a different story.

Gemma came home from Teller Morrow to see Stacey sitting on the couch in the living room. She crossed her arms, watching as Stacey flipped through the channels.

"You know, it would be nice to have your help in the office from time to time," Gemma said to her as she sat in the arm chair across from her. Stacey looked up at her mother and nodded.

"I know, I'm sorry," she said, "Do you, um, know who's working tomorrow?" Gemma raised her eyebrows.

"I think it's Chibs, Jax, and Juice on the schedule," she said. Stacey nodded.

"Alright, I'll go in tomorrow and help out for a bit," she said. Gemma eyed her calculatingly.

"You avoiding someone?" she asked. Stacey shook her head quickly.

"No!" she said a little too forcefully. Gemma smirked.

"Why're you avoiding Opie?" she rephrased. Stacey sighed, shaking her head again.

"I'm not avoiding Opie," she grumbled.

"Baby, you've had a crush on that boy since you were in the third grade," Gemma responded, "Latched on to him for the next 10 years. I think I can tell when you're avoiding him." Stacey glowered at her mother for several seconds before she responded.

"It doesn't matter, I'm with Brad now," she reminded her.

"Ah yes, Brad," Gemma said, "So you've made your choice then?" Stacey shrugged.

"Things are easier with Brad," she said, reiterating what she'd said to Opie, "He's safer, nicer… I don't have to worry about all the club bullshit with him. I don't have to worry about fucking _run rules_ with him. He's _normal_."

"Baby, I'm gonna tell you this as someone with a lot of experience with men in the life," Gemma said, crossing her legs and leaning towards Stacey, "When it comes to your heart, words like 'easy' and 'safe' don't always mean 'better'. You just think about that." Stacey watched as her mother stood from her chair and made her way upstairs.

* * *

**A/N - please review and let **


	5. Chapter 5

Opie gritted his teeth as he peered down at the blond bobbing her head in his lap, trying hard not to wish it was Stacey. He'd developed a pretty unhealthy pattern ever since Stacey had come back from Ireland with the asshole on her arm. He'd wallow in his own self-pity for a while, get himself into some sort of drunken stupor, and bury himself into as many of their Friday night whores as he could, hoping that eventually his heart would stop feeling so empty. And then he'd be okay for a few days, functioning like a normal human being at any rate. And then she'd come back for a visit and everything he'd ever felt for the girl would slam into him full force, only for her to reject him over and over, always running back to Sacramento. And the pattern would repeat itself.

He gripped the back of the nameless girl's head, shoving her down on his length as he felt his release build. She sucked him dry, using the skills she'd perfected over the years spent at the clubhouse, dropping to her knees anytime a man in a cut snapped his fingers. He groaned as she licked him clean, slowly rising from her spot between his legs as he tucked himself back into his pants.

He dug around in his pocket for a cigarette, pulling out his pack and lighting up. He exhaled slowly, looking at the girl who was as far from Stacey as you could get.

"You should go," he said, leaning back against the headboard of the bed in his dorm room. She nodded, slightly disappointed she wasn't going to at least get laid, but obediently showed herself out, leaving Opie to his thoughts.

It had been over a week since his confession to Stacey and try as he might, no matter how many croweaters he fucked his way through, he couldn't get their conversation out of his head. He knew she'd been in Charming all week – Juice had told her Brad had been out of town visiting his sick grandmother or some shit – but he hadn't seen her. He had a feeling she was avoiding him, not that he was surprised.

He heaved a sigh as he put his cigarette out on an ashtray on the bedside table and stood up, walking out of his dorm and into the open room of the clubhouse. The blond he'd just been with was now seated at the bar with a couple of other croweaters and Chibs and Tig were in the middle of a game of pool. Jax nodded his head in greeting at Opie from where he sat next to Clay on the couch, going over the details of next week's run. Opie looked around and saw Juice in the corner at the office he'd put together for himself – a small desk covered in computer monitors, radio scanners, and monitors for all of the security cameras on the premises – a spot he'd rarely been away from lately. Juice looked up as he heard Opie approach and smiled grimly as he pulled up a chair next to him.

"You got anything yet?" Opie asked.

"Yes and no," Juice responded, explaining his trip up to Brad's apartment the week before and the checks he'd found, "I'm still waiting for him to deposit them. So far no hits anywhere but I've been monitoring the accounts the checks are coming from and when they hit I'll know, and I'll be able to track where the money is getting deposited."

"Can't you just find the accounts for the names the checks were made out to?" Opie asked. Juice shook his head.

"I tried, the names were too common to try and locate anything on them without more information," he said, "I looked into the company, though – CZ construction. It seems legit on the surface. Really small, less than five employees, got a website and everything. But a few red flags started popping up when I dug deeper."

"Like what?" Opie asked.

"Well for one, the phone number listed on the website is an automated message. Just tells you to leave a message with any inquiries and they'll get back to you," Juice told him.

"So?" Opie asked.

"Exactly. Seems legit, right? But I think it would be a great way to appear to have a working business without actually having one, and it's so small that nobody is going to look too hard into it," Juice said conspiratorially.

"So you think it's a dummy corp?" Opie asked. Juice nodded.

"It was set up right before Brad got back from Ireland with Stacey," he told him, "But right now it's just a feeling. I'm going to start looking into these employees the company lists, see if I can find out anything through them."

"Have you looked into the people that wrote the checks?" Opie asked. Juice nodded.

"Seems like most of them are people that are getting work done on their houses, deposits and stuff. Most are young couples, a few middle aged women," Juice told him. Opie nodded.

"Alright, well let me know when you find something," Opie said and Juice nodded.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Gemma checked the clock on her dashboard as she pulled up to Brad's apartment in Sacramento. She knew Stacey had her orientation in Davis today and was hoping to find Brad alone at his apartment so she could have a little chat with him about Stacey moving in with him. She rapped briskly on his door and several moments later he opened it, looking surprised to find her standing there.

"Mrs. Morrow, hi," he said, opening the door for her to enter. She marched into the apartment and he winced as she tread over the carpet.

"If you could please take your boots off," he said, and she looked at him like he'd just taken crazy pills before glancing down at her boots. She shook her head.

"Not gonna happen," she said, "But I would take a glass of water if you're offering." Brad glared at her, ignoring her request.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, and Gemma got right to the point.

"My daughter tells me you're trying to talk her into moving up to Sacramento with you," she said, an edge to her voice.

"You've got to admit, it would be a lot easier on her when she starts school. Davis is just down the road," he said. Gemma crossed her arms.

"Mmmhmm, and whose idea was it for her to go to Davis?" she asked. Brad smiled at Gemma.

"Hers, of course," he said, his voice dripping with charm, "They have one of the best vet schools in the area. If I was really trying to talk her into going to a school just to get farther away from you, I think I would have picked one more than just an hour away." Gemma frowned at him, bristling slightly as she stepped towards him.

"Stacey is not moving up here," she said, "She's going to stay in Charming and commute to school and you're going to stop making her spend all of her time up here." Brad chuckled as he looked at her, amused.

"Mrs. Morrow, I don't know what you think, but I'm not the bad guy here – I haven't forced Stacey to do anything. She stays up here because she wants to, and if she moves up here, it will be because she wants to. Which she will," he responded confidently. Gemma took a deep breath, her eyes narrow as she closed the space between them.

"I know you don't know much about Stacey's family, but we have the ability to make life very difficult for you," Gemma said, her voice low and threatening, "The second I hear you don't make her happy anymore – and it will happen – I strongly suggest you start watching your back." Brad looked back at her chuckling, the amused expression still on his face.

"I'll keep that in mind," he responded. Gemma narrowed her eyes at him as she made her way to the door, careful to wipe her feet on the carpet. Brad's amused expression fell as his face twitched and she smirked before making her way out of the door.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey drove back to Sacramento from her orientation at UC Davis, where she had been unable to focus on a single thing anyone had been saying. The only thing she'd been able to think about for over a week was Opie's words to her. She'd replayed them over and over again in her head and no matter how hard she tried not to, all she could see when she closed her eyes was Opie standing in her entryway, a tortured expression across his face, as the words 'I might even fucking love you' escaped from his lips.

She sighed as she pulled into Brad's apartment, knowing that at least when she was with him, she could count on no drama. Things with Brad were easy; a little boring, maybe, but as someone raised around SAMCRO, she thought a little boring was just what she needed most days. She walked into Brad's apartment to see him on his hands and knees, scrubbing the carpet.

"Hey, babe," she greeted, kicking off her shoes and setting her purse down on the coffee table. He stood up glowering at her, clearly not in a good mood. The last time she'd seen him this upset was when he'd gotten into that fight with Opie.

"Something the matter?" she asked. He stood up and she saw him struggle to smile at her, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Just got a little dirt on the carpet, that's all," he said, walking over and kissing her. She closed her eyes, trying once again to feel something, but the spark she used to get with Brad had seemed to vanish with Opie's confession to her. She gave Brad a small smile.

"I have a surprise for you," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist to bring her closer to him. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh really?" she asked, "What is it?"

"Well a couple of weeks ago I entered this raffle at the mall, and they called earlier to say that I won," he said, a gleam in his eye as the excitement in his voice built. Stacey grinned at him.

"What'd you win, a new car?" she asked jokingly. He shook his head.

"Nope. _We _won a two night, all expenses paid trip to Vegas!" he told her excitedly. Her eyes widened.

"Vegas?" she asked doubtfully and he nodded enthusiastically.

"It'll be fun, Stace," he said, "We can go this weekend." Stacey pursed her lips in thought. With thoughts of Opie running through her head, she wasn't sure this was the best time to be going on a vacation with Brad.

"That sounds… great, Brad," she said unenthusiastically, "Let me think about it, okay? I'll let you know tomorrow." Brad nodded, frowning.

"What's there to think about? It's a free trip," he said. Stacey shrugged.

"It's been a long day, I can't really think about this right now," she said, "I think I'm gonna go to bed early. We'll talk more about it tomorrow." Brad nodded as she walked into the bathroom and started a bubble bath, slowly sinking herself into the hot water as she tried to clear her mind.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

After a restless night of tossing and turning, intermingled with dreams about Opie, Stacey awoke, groggy and sleep deprived and with a frustrating need to see him. She made her way quietly out of bed, careful not to wake up Brad, and started up his coffee pot in the kitchen. She watched as the coffee slowly dripped into the pot, trying to brush off her desire to see Opie but she felt like an addict with a craving – the feeling wouldn't go away and she knew it would grow more urgent until she got her fix.

She sighed, walking back down the hall to the bathroom, the coffee lying forgotten in its pot as she ran the shower. She hopped in, the water pouring over her as she tried to figure out what to do. By the time she finished her shower and had blow-dried her hair, she knew no matter what she decided she was going to end up in Charming today.

She didn't know what she planned to say to Opie when she saw him, but she had a 40 mile car ride to figure it out. She peeked into Brad's room and saw him still sound asleep. She sighed as she looked at him; she felt bad for him. His grandmother had passed away on the last day of his visit and he hadn't really been the same since. Maybe that's why things seemed different between them; maybe it didn't have anything to do with Opie at all. All she knew was that she had to see Opie again if she was going to figure it out.

This was a time where she did not want him to knowing she was going down to Charming, so she scribbled a note telling him she was going shopping with Kara and Leslie, making a mental note to call them at some point – she hadn't seen them since their lunch several weeks ago as Brad had taken up so much of her time – and walked to her car. She drove down to Charming, her stomach in nervous butterflies the entire drive. She pulled into the TM lot and had to take several deep breaths to steady her nerves before climbing out of the car.

She saw her mother come out of the office and walk over to her when she pulled up.

"Hey baby," she said, giving her a hug.

"Hi mom," she said. Gemma stepped away from her, smiling knowingly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Stacey laughed nervously.

"Can't your daughter just come and say hi?" she asked.

"Usually, yes, but you haven't been around much," Gemma told her.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll be spending more time down here, I promise," she told her, thinking in her head that if Brad found out she'd come down here to see Opie, she'd probably be here all the time as Brad would definitely dump her. Or maybe Stacey would want to break up with Brad after she saw Opie… she had no idea where her head was at.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Gemma told her.

"K, well I'm gonna go find… Juice," Stacey said.

"Mmmhmm," Gemma responded, one eyebrow cocked. Stacey rolled her eyes and made her way into the clubhouse. It was still early – not many people showed their face in here before noon – and she wasn't surprised to see the clubhouse empty save for Juice, sitting in his 'office'.

"Hey!" she said, walking up to him. He jumped when he heard her greeting and quickly closed out of a few windows before turning to look at her.

"Stacey, hey!" he said, grinning at her and giving her a hug.

"What're you working on?" she asked as she on the chair next to his.

"Oh, you know, just club stuff," he said and she nodded.

"Right, top secret," she joked. She had never been on full disclosure with the club, and preferred to keep it that way. She figured she'd have a lot more sleepless nights if she really knew what they were up to.

"Something like that," he said, grinning, "So what brings you down?"

"I'm beginning to feel bad, everyone being so surprised to see me," she said, "I really need to start coming around more often." Juice nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you do," he said. Stacey glanced around at the clubhouse, hoping Opie would just appear in front of her.

"So how's life with a patch treating you?" she asked, turning back to look at Juice. He grinned.

"It's great. Stressful sometimes, but it's nice not to have to do all the grunt work anymore," he said, "I can't wait until we start prospecting some more members, though. I'm still the lowest man on the totem pole." Stacey laughed.

"It'll happen," she told him encouragingly, "They're always bringing in new meat, even if they don't last very long."

"I hope so," Juice said, looking over at her and noticing her distracted expression, "So did you really just come down to say hi?" She looked back at him and sighed.

"I was actually looking for Opie," she admitted and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, "Why's that?" Stacey shrugged.

"Just… wanted to talk to him," she replied. Juice nodded.

"I think he's in his dorm room," Juice told her.

"Alright, I'm gonna go try to find him," she said. Juice turned back to his computer as Stacey made her way across the clubhouse. As she passed the bar and turned to walk down the hall that led to the dorm rooms, she heard a door open and close. A second later Opie walked around the corner and down the hall in a wife beater and his cut, a stupid slut half clothed and wrapped around him.

They both came to a complete halt as they saw each other, Stacey's eyes going back and forth from the girl to Opie, her jaw dropping slightly. She didn't know why she didn't even consider this as a possibility when she decided to drive down here at the crack of dawn, also known as 10 AM. Possibly because he'd just told her he loved her a week ago. _'He _might_ love you_,' Stacey amended in her head.

"Oh, hey…. I forgot something," Stacey said awkwardly, doing an about-face and having to stop herself from running in her haste to get out of the door. Juice looked up from his computer, watching the scene unfold as Opie shoved the girl off of him, walking after Stacey.

"Stacey!" he called, but she pretended not to hear him, begging the tears not to betray her. Opie jogged up to her grabbing her arm, spinning her around to face him. She struggled out of his grasp but he held tight.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. She stopped struggling, looking up at him, defeated.

"I came to see you," she said, "Like a fucking idiot." Opie pursed his lips, releasing her.

"Why?" he asked. She shrugged, chuckling humorlessly.

"I don't even know anymore," she said, shaking her head, "I guess because I couldn't stop thinking about what you said to me. Did you tell her the same thing before you fucked her?" she asked, looking over at the girl now sitting on top of the bar. Opie glowered at her.

"What the fuck, Stacey? What did you expect? You gave me your decision. Did you want me to wait around for you forever?" he asked.

"No, not forever," she said, "A few hours would have been nice." Opie shook his head.

"You can't have it both ways, Stace," he said, "You can't reject me and then come here and get pissed that I'm with another girl. Who, by the way, I don't give a shit about."

"Whatever," Stacey grumbled, knowing she was being unfair, but seeing Opie with that croweater just reminded herself what the life of an Old Lady was – and she wasn't sure it was a life she wanted. She didn't want to know that if she was with him and they ever got in a fight or broke up, that there would be a swarm of girls lining up to comfort him. The thought disgusted her. Her mother was wrong – with matters of the heart, 'safe' and 'easy' were always the better option. Opie was the wild card, the risk, and she knew now she wasn't ready to make that gamble.

She turned to go and had made it to the short hallway that led to the door when Opie grabbed her arm, spinning her around again and shoving her against the wall. Before she could say anything, he had firmly pressed his lips against hers, his beard lightly scratching her face as he rubbed his hands along her waist. Stacey's heart completely betrayed her head as she melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as she held him close to her, kissing him hungrily.

Even before Stacey had stopped feeling anything when Brad kissed her, he had never kissed her like this – urgently, as though he needed her, wanted her more than anything in the world. It was at once raw and passionate, a completely honest moment between them where they were holding nothing back.

It wasn't until Stacey's head started screaming at her that she was jerked out of the moment. She pulled away from Opie, looking at him, her heart racing, before she turned and walked out the door, running to her car. This time, Opie didn't try to stop her.

Stacey sat in her car for several minutes, trying to calm herself. She checked her phone and saw a few missed calls from Brad, so she called him back and he picked up on the first ring.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I left you a note," Stacey told him, trying not to sound like she was out of breath.

"Yeah, I saw it," he grumbled.

"Well, I'm about to be on my way back now," she said.

"Short visit?" Brad asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Stacey sighed.

"Look I wanted to talk to you about something, but I wasn't really sure if I should say anything," he said, his voice sounded nervous and hesitant, as though he didn't really want to tell her what he was about to say.

"Yeah? What is it, babe?" she asked, wincing as she used the term of endearment, feeling insanely guilty for kissing Opie while she was still with Brad.

"It's just… your mom came by while you were at your orientation," he said. Stacey's eyebrows shot up, all thoughts of Opie suddenly pushed to the back of her mind.

"What?" she shrieked, "Oh God, what did she do?"

"Wanted to talk about you moving up to Sacramento," he said, "She got kinda… scary. Started threatening me, basically said the club would kill me if I took you away."

"What?" Stacey said, horrified, "Oh, Brad, I'm so sorry! The club is not going to kill you, I promise. Geez, I'll talk to her. I cannot believe she said that," she said, starting to ramble, hardly remembering she was still talking to Brad, "She still thinks she can control my entire life, putting all these ideas into my head about Ope- uh- people, and trying to tell me where I can and can't live." She sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry about it, Stace, I shouldn't have said anything," Brad responded. Stacey shook her head, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"No, I'm glad you did," she said, eyeing the door of the office, where she knew her mother was.

"Okay, well, have you given any more thought to Vegas?" Brad asked.

"What?" Stacey asked distractedly, "Oh, right, Vegas." The image of Opie and the girl wrapped around him, leaving his dorm room the morning after a night of God knows what, flashed in her mind and the only thing she wanted at that moment was to get as far from Opie as she could.

"Yeah, let's go; it'll be good for us to get away for a few days," she said.

"Great! We'll leave tomorrow morning, so we'll pack when you get up here," Brad said.

"Yeah, okay, let me let you go, I'll see you in a few," she said, and without waiting for a response hung up the phone.

She stepped back out of the car, marching to the office and shoving the door open.

"What the hell, _Gemma_!" Stacey yelled as she walked into the office. Gemma leaned back in her chair, looking up at her in surprise as she slid her glasses off her face, holding them in her hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You're what's wrong! I just talked to Brad – he said you went up to his apartment and threatened him," Stacey said angrily. Gemma rolled her eyes.

"We had a passionate discussion in his living room," she replied.

"He's my boyfriend!" Stacey yelled, "You don't have any right to say anything to him!" Gemma stood up, eyeing Stacey.

"I have every right to say anything I want to him," she said, "I'm your mother."

"Yeah, well, I'll be staying at Brad's indefinitely while I figure out where I want to live when I start school, but it most definitely won't be with you," Stacey spat. Gemma stepped back, looking as if she had just been slapped as Stacey turned to leave. They'd had their fair share of fights, but she'd never spoken to her like that before – it was usually Jax that tried to put her in her place. Gemma walked to the office door, watching Stacey slam the car door shut behind her and peel out of the lot. This boyfriend of hers was slowly starting to isolate her from everyone who'd ever loved her – she barely saw her family anymore and she knew she hadn't seen any of her old college friends in a while, and Gemma didn't like it.

But she knew her daughter, who could be as stubborn and pigheaded as she was. She'd have to tread carefully if she didn't want to push her even farther into Brad's waiting arms.

* * *

**A/N Once again I want to thank every so much for their feedback! Please review, let me know if you liked this chapter! Thanks! **


	6. Chapter 6

Brad walked over to the couch, carrying a bowl of chicken soup and setting it on the coffee table. He sat next to where Stacey lay miserably on the couch and felt her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, concern written all over his face. Stacey shook her head, clutching her stomach as she panted on the couch. She had been sick ever since their first morning in Vegas. She'd gotten so drunk the first night that she'd blacked out – something she'd never done before, but she chalked it up to the guilt she felt about kissing Opie that had allowed her to lose count of her drinks. When she woke up the next morning throwing up, she'd thought it was just a hangover, but she'd been sick the rest of the day and they'd ended up having to cut their trip short. It was now several days later and the nausea and exhaustion had still not dissipated.

"Like shit," Stacey mumbled, reaching for her glass of water on the coffee table.

"Maybe you should go see a doctor," Brad told her. Stacey shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine in a few days," she said. Brad shook his head.

"You might have the flu or something, you really should get checked out," he reasoned with her. She looked up at him, too weak to argue but really not wanting to go to a hospital.

"If I don't feel better in a couple of days, I'll go, okay?" she said. She moaned, laying back on the couch and staring at the ceiling. She had a feeling this was karma, biting her in the ass big time.

She hadn't spoken to anyone from Charming since her short visit. Nobody even knew she'd left the state. Gemma, Clay, Juice, and even Jax had all tried to call her, but she hadn't wanted to talk to any of them. She felt like ever since she'd come back from Ireland, her relationship with Brad had been an uphill battle and it was easier to blame her family for that. Things had been so perfect before they'd come back to California, and now between Juice constantly digging for information, her mother's threats on Brad, Clay and Jax's generally suspicious nature, and Opie, Stacey felt like a hiatus from all of them was just what her relationship with Brad needed. She'd thought that if she was just able to get away for a few days, she'd be able to make it work. But now, instead of having a chance to make her relationship work, she was sick as a dog.

There were several messages on her cell phone reminding her about family dinner this Sunday. Stacey had been debating about even going, especially after what her mother had said to Brad. He already felt weird around Juice and Opie, and now she had to worry about him not getting along with her mom. Stacey definitely wasn't going without him – after her last two visits to Charming, she didn't trust herself alone around Opie.

There was a knock on the door and Stacey jerked her head from where it was laying on the arm of the couch as Brad looked at the door curiously.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Stacey asked. Brad shook his head and stood up to answer the door. He stood back to let the visitor come in and Stacey raised her eyebrows in surprise when Gemma walked in.

"Mom!" she said, her weak voice croaking, "What are you doing here?" Gemma frowned as she saw her daughter lying on the couch, clearly sick, and walked towards her.

"Shoes!" Brad barked and Gemma took a step back, appraising him.

"You're just all sorts of crazy aren't you?" she asked, and Brad glowered at her.

"Mom…" Stacey croaked warningly. Gemma raised her hands in surrender, stepping off the carpet and back on the tiled entryway, tearing her boots off before walking over to Stacey. She put her hand on her forehead and on her cheek.

"You don't feel like you have a fever," she said, frowning in concern, "But you look like shit." Stacey glared up at her mother.

"Thanks, mom," she retorted, "I feel like shit. I have the hangover that won't go away."

"Hmmmm," Gemma said as she took her empty water glass to the kitchen to refill it and brought it back to her, Brad still standing by doorway watching them.

"What are you doing here?" Stacey asked, sitting up and taking the water from Gemma.

"Drink that up, baby," Gemma ordered her kindly, rubbing her back. Stacey took a few sips and looked expectantly at her mom, waiting for her to answer her question.

"I just stopped by to say hi," Gemma said, "See how my baby was."

"You drove all the way out here just to say hi?" Stacey asked.

"Well you wouldn't answer your phone, what was I supposed to do?" Gemma replied, "You know Jax is a little upset you won't even answer _his_ calls." Stacey shrugged, feeling a twinge of guilt for ignoring her brother.

"I just didn't feel like talking to anyone," she muttered.

"Obviously," Gemma replied. She turned to Brad, and it seemed to take every fiber of her being to force herself to smile at him. As it was, it looked more like a grimace than a grin, "I also wanted to come and…. apologize," she had to force the word out, "to Brad. I'm sorry for what I said to you, and I really hope you'll _both_ come to dinner on Sunday." She knew it was the only way to get Stacey to come, and she had really missed her daughter. She wasn't actually sorry in the slightest for what she'd said to Brad, but she wasn't going to allow him to come between her and Stacey.

"What dinner?" Brad asked as Stacey looked hesitantly between the two of them.

"Family dinner. Sunday night. 8 o'clock," Gemma responded. She looked at Stacey, "Please come. If you're feeling better, of course." Stacey looked over at Brad, who nodded. The act was not lost on Gemma, as though her daughter was asking permission. Since when did Stacey ask permission for anything? Stacey didn't ask, she told you want she wanted to do and then if you said no, she'd compromise until she got her way. That's how she was able to study abroad, for christ's sake. If she'd asked permission, the answer would have been a firm 'hell no'.

"We'll be there, Mrs. Morrow," Brad responded, "As long as Stacey is feeling up to it."

"Have you been to the doctor?" Gemma asked, turning back to Stacey. She rolled her eyes.

"No, I'll be fine in a few days," Stacey grumbled. She didn't need more people forcing her to a doctor. She'd hated hospitals ever since half her family had died in one, and she hadn't stepped foot in a hospital since watching her father die.

"Okay, well I'll be calling to check up on you and you better answer your damn phone or I'll be driving out here every day to make sure you're okay," she said. Stacey nodded and Gemma stood.

"Okay, well, I'll see you on Sunday," she said as she walked to the entry way to pull her boots back on, "Don't be late." She took one last glance back at Stacey, who had collapsed back on the couch, and walked out of the apartment.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Brad and Stacey pulled up to Gemma and Clay's house a little before 8 on Sunday night. She had fully recovered from her extended hangover within a couple of days and now the only think making her feel sick was her nerves. She stared nervously up at the house, not able to shake the feeling that something was bound to go wrong. She climbed out of the car and opened the back seat to take the casserole she'd made and followed Brad through the back door into the kitchen.

She walked in to see Gemma and her housekeeper, Neeta, busily working in the kitchen. Stacey looked through the partition that separated the kitchen from the dining room to see Clay, Jax, Tig, Chibs, Bobby, Juice, and Opie standing around the table, joking around with each other. Nearly the whole gang was here, minus Piney, who she guessed was probably hunkered down at the cabin for the weekend, and Bobby's wife Precious, who she heard had taken off while she was in Ireland – good riddance. Stacey set the casserole down on the counter and walked over to her mom, giving her a hug.

"Oh, baby, I'm so glad you came," Gemma said, in such a heartfelt voice that Stacey had to lean back and look at her, double check that it was really her mother she was hugging.

"Me too, mom," Stacey said as Gemma gave her a quick kiss, "The casserole probably needs to be heated up. I'll be right back to help." Gemma nodded as Stacey grabbed Brad's hand, leading him into the dining room.

"Baby girl!" Clay exclaimed, grabbing her as she walked into the dining room and giving her a hug.

"You feelin better? Your mom said you've been sick," he said, pulling apart and looking at her with concern. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine… it must have just been one of those 72 hour things," she said. Tig walked up just then, picking her up and spinning her around.

"We missed you, kid," he said, setting her down and kissing the top of her head. She grinned at him.

"I've missed you guys, too," she said.

"Coulda fooled me," Jax said from across the table, eyeing her. She walked over to her brother, giving him a hug as he embraced her.

"I'm sorry I never called you back," she said, "Just been…"

"Don't you even say busy," he said, still holding her close to him, "You don't even start school until next week. You're just sitting around doing nothing and not calling me."

"You caught me," she said, stepping back from him, "I am sorry, though." He nodded, grinning at her.

"Yeah, it's okay. But the next time I go more than a day without hearing from you, I'm busting your door down, understand?" he asked. Stacey nodded, smiling back at him. Jax could be extremely overprotective, but she knew it was his way of showing that he loved her, and she loved him for it.

"Understood," she said. She looked over at Juice, standing next to Jax and walked over to give him a hug, pulling away quickly as she knew Brad was watching.

"Glad you came," he said grinning at her. She nodded, trying not to look over at Opie, the elephant in the room, but decided she couldn't ignore him without making things even more awkward.

"Hey, Opes," she said, looking over at him. Her heart thumped as they made eye contact and she felt the familiar spark of electricity between them that had her constantly wondering if she'd made the right choice. While she tried to ignore it, she briefly wondered if he felt it, too, and by the way he was looking at her, she assumed that he did. She quickly looked away.

"Hey, Stace," he replied. There was silence for a moment and she worried that Brad would pick up on something.

"Okay, well I'm gonna go help out mom in the kitchen," she finally said, "Brad, there's beer in the fridge, help yourself, and I'll be back in a second." Brad nodded as she walked back into the kitchen, taking one last nervous glance at the dining room before checking with her mom about what needed to be done.

Stacey helped Gemma and Neeta bring all the food to the table and then took a seat next to Brad, which happened to be directly across from Opie. Gemma and Clay sat at either end of the table as the others all found an open seat. Stacey looked around the table, noticing, not for the first time, the absence of women in the men's lives. Her mother was the only Old Lady who'd lasted more than a few years, and Stacey had a feeling that was because Gemma was as much a part of SAMCRO as a woman could be.

Stacey loved the club; she'd been a part of the SAMCRO family since the day she was born and she loved every guy sitting around the table, knowing each one of them would die for her. But being a daughter of the club was a whole lot different than being an Old Lady. As a daughter, she had a choice – whether or not she wanted to make SAMCRO her entire life. She liked the idea of having a life outside of _the _life, but those Old Ladies who, unlike her mother, had not completely devoted themselves to the club, had grown jaded and split, most of them taking their children with them.

That's not what Stacey wanted, even if Opie did make her feel things that Brad, and probably any other man, never could. Stacey could see herself having a happy life with Brad, growing old together, running her vet practice, having a family, even if her damn heart wouldn't allow her to love him like she knew she loved Opie. Her biggest fear of being with Opie was that eventually things would get to be too much and she'd want to leave, just like the others. It was much less painful to bury those feelings now, than to have to walk away from them 5, 10, 20 years down the road.

Stacey sighed as she pushed the food around on her plate, suddenly not very hungry. She knew the way things were going couldn't continue and she wondered how long it would be before her head and her heart would finally agree on something.

After dinner, Stacey helped her mother clear the dishes. Once all the dishes were cleared, they both stood at the sink, Gemma washing and Stacey drying while the guys went to the backyard to hang out on the deck.

"Can I ask you a question?" Stacey asked, drying a pot Gemma handed to her and putting it aside.

"Sure, baby," Gemma replied, shutting the water off and wiping her hands on a rag before turning to look at her.

"How do you do it?" Stacey asked.

"Do what?" Gemma asked, pretty sure she wasn't talking about washing dishes. Stacey sighed, trying to figure out how to put all the questions in her mind into words.

"How do you… deal with all the club stuff? With dad, and now with Clay? Why haven't you left already, like everybody else?" she asked. Gemma nodded to show she understood the question, leaning against the counter top as she contemplated her answer.

"No relationship worth having is ever going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time," Gemma told her, "I understand what the club means and what it means to be a part of it, and so do you. We both know the club isn't just a group of guys obsessed with motorcycles. We understand that the club is part of who they are, and like I said baby, it's part of who you are, too, whether you know it or not, whether you always like it or not. And it's part of who I am. Those bitches that took off running never understood that. They distanced themselves – the club was never a part of them. That's why they left." Stacey nodded as her hand continued to dry the same plate.

"What's on your mind?" Gemma asked, though she was pretty sure she knew. Stacey shrugged.

"Just… wondering," she mumbled. They finished washing the dishes and Gemma filled an ice chest with beer to bring outside.

"You coming?" she asked as she made her way to the back door. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute," she said. She made her way to the front door and took a seat on the porch steps, looking out at the street. She wanted some fresh air but she also wanted to be alone for a second. She knew she couldn't stay out here too long; Brad was out back with the wolves, but she hadn't had time to herself to think in days.

She hadn't been out there long when the door opened and Opie walked through, stopping when he saw her on the porch.

"Oh, hey," he said, "Your mom just wanted me to run to the store really quick." Stacey rolled her eyes.

"Of course she did," she said, knowing the puppet master had probably intentionally sent him this way so he'd run into her while Brad was occupied. Opie walked up to her, sitting on the steps next to her.

"Can we talk?" he asked. Stacey looked down at her hands.

"About what?" she asked evasively. Opie reached over, tipping her chin to look at him.

"About the way you kissed me the last time I saw you," he said. She looked at him, slowly shaking her head.

"I don't think it's a good idea to talk about that," she mumbled.

"So we just… what? Go on pretending like it never happened?" he asked, frustrated. Stacey sighed, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder before she even realized she had moved.

"Yeah, I guess so," Stacey said quietly.

"If that's what you want," Opie said, kissing her softly and regretfully on the top of her head.

"What the hell is going on?" They heard from behind them. Stacey jumped and turned to see Brad standing there, glowering at them.

"Nothing," Stacey told him as she and Opie stood.

"Didn't look like nothing to me," Brad said, "Looked like you two were getting pretty cozy." Stacey walked up to him, reaching out for his arm, but Brad jerked it away. Opie glared at him, anger boiling inside of him at the sight.

"If you thought that was cozy, you should have seen us last week when we kissed," Opie growled, the words out of his mouth before he realized that they would affect Stacey as well as Brad. Stacey took a step back, looking open-mouthed at Opie as Brad's face fell.

"You what?" Brad asked, his voice full of hurt and disappointment as he looked at Stacey. Stacey looked back at him, her expression guilty as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"How could you do that to me?" Brad asked, "I would _never _have done that to you." He walked past them, down the steps and out to the street towards his car.

"Brad!" Stacey called after him, starting to follow him but stopping when she reached where Opie stood. She reached up and slapped him across the face. His face hardened as she slapped him, but he didn't move.

"That was a real dick move, Harry Winston," she said, before running down the steps and after Brad. Gemma and Jax walked out just in time to see Stacey climbing in the passenger side of the car and watched as it pulled away from the curb and down the street.

"What the fuck?" Gemma asked, "What happened?" Opie shrugged, watching the car drive off.

"I think I fucked up," Opie mumbled. Gemma reached up and slapped him across the face. Jax's eyebrows rose in surprise as he looked between the two.

"You're an idiot," she said as Opie looked at her surprised.

"I'm getting real sick of getting slapped by all the women around here," Opie said angrily. Jax narrowed his eyes at Opie, inferring by his use of 'all the women' that he'd just gotten slapped by his sister, too.

"Do I need to punch you again?" he asked.

"Probably, bro, but not tonight, a'ight?" Opie said.

"What is wrong with you?" Gemma asked exasperatedly. Opie shrugged.

"I don't know what I'm doing when she's around," he said, "I just… want to be with her." He gazed apologetically at Jax, who narrowed his eyes while Gemma crossed her arms, glaring at Opie.

"Yeah, no shit," she retorted, "And I'm working on that, and you're out here going off-script on me. Jesus Christ, Ope, we finally got her to come down here and then you do whatever the hell you did that was bad enough to get her to leave without saying good bye to anyone." Opie sighed, fishing his keys out of his pocket.

"I'm headed back to the clubhouse. I'll see y'all tomorrow," he said tiredly, turning to walk down the porch steps to his bike.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Brad was silent the entire way back to Sacramento and Stacey followed his lead, sitting awkwardly next to him and staring down at her hands. They pulled up to his apartment and he got out quickly, walking up to his door without waiting for her. Stacey sighed as she followed him into the apartment to see him bringing out sheets, blankets and pillows to the couch.

"Brad?" she asked tentatively.

"Just go to bed Stacey," he said, "I'll sleep out here. I don't want to talk to you tonight." Stacey could feel the tears welling behind her eyes as she remained in the living room.

"Brad, I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking.

"Go, Stacey. I'm not talking about this tonight," he said firmly, and she sighed, making her way back to his bedroom. She crawled into bed, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't until she saw the hurt on his face that she realized how much she really did still care about Brad. She sighed, rolling over on her side, reaching out to his cold and empty side of the bed. How was it possible to have these kinds of feelings for two different men?

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey awoke the next morning, nervous to walk out of the bedroom. She finally mustered the courage to walk out and saw Brad in the kitchen making breakfast. He looked up when she walked out and motioned for her to have a seat at the dining room table, where there were already biscuits and a plate of bacon set out. He finished the eggs and transferred them onto a plate before bringing it to the table and sitting down next to Stacey.

"Did it just happen the one time?" he asked her, almost nonchalantly as he scooped some eggs onto his plate. Stacey stared at him.

"Um… yes, of course," she said.

"Then I forgive you," he told her, still not making eye contact, as he grabbed some bacon.

"What?" Stacey asked, shocked at the change in his mood from last night. He finally looked over at her.

"I forgive you," he stated, "Now eat something." Stacey nodded, grabbing a biscuit and slowly tearing off a corner.

"Just like that? You just forgive me?" she asked, wondering if she was pushing her luck. This was way too easy. Brad put his fork down, reaching over to take her right hand, kissing her over the Claddagh ring on her finger.

"I know who your heart really belongs to," he told her softly, his thumb grazing over the ring, "I'm sure it was more him than you. I thought a lot about it last night. And I forgive you." Stacey nodded, smiling at him as she leaned forward to kiss him.

"Good," she said, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Juice sat in his office, staring at the computer screen and sighed, glancing over at Clay who was on the couch with Jax and Tig. He still didn't have any concrete information about Brad's shady business or those checks made out to those random people. He had several ideas about what it could all mean, but everything was speculation. But he decided the time had come to tell Clay, even if it meant getting his ass handed to him by not being able to do more. He stood up and slowly made his way over to Clay.

"Hey Clay, can I talk to you?" he asked. Clay looked up at him, pulling his cigar out of his mouth.

"This about the personal job I gave you?" he asked. Juice nodded and Clay looked at Tig and Jax.

"Give us a second," he said. Jax and Tig walked over to the bar and Juice sat down next to Clay.

"You find anything?" Clay asked. He hadn't really expected Juice to find anything when he'd asked him to look into Brad, but the more he was around the guy, the more he sensed something was off about him. It didn't help matters that he barely got to see his step-daughter, whom he loved as if she was his own, anymore.

"Not exactly," Juice said, "I've found next to nothing, but it's enough to know that Brad definitely isn't who he says he is." Clay's eyebrows creased briefly in surprise before settling back into his usual stoic expression, waiting for Juice to continue, "I know Brad Willis isn't his real name, but I haven't been able to find out who he really is. He's done an excellent job covering his tracks. The only thing I know for sure is he's definitely hiding something." Clay frowned.

"Where's Stacey now?" Clay asked, glad that he was able to keep the worry he felt out of his voice.

"At Brad's," Juice responded slowly.

"Shit," Clay hissed, "Did you tell her any of this?" Juice shook his head.

"She wouldn't believe me even if I did," he said.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Clay responded, "I'm gonna call her. Get her to get her ass back to Charming now." Juice paused; he hated to give advice to his president on how to handle his own step-daughter, but he thought he knew how Stacey would react to being ordered home just because Clay thought her boyfriend was hiding something. But getting Stacey away from Brad was worth risking Clay's wrath at the moment.

"Um… you might want to make up a reason for why you need her down here," Juice said nervously, "I mean, we don't actually have anything on Brad. She'll just make up excuses for him." Clay looked thoughtfully at Juice and he winced, but Clay just nodded.

"Yeah, good thinking," he said, and Juice let out a sigh of relief. Clay puffed on his cigar, thinking hard, "I want to know who this fucker is. You run his picture through that facial recognition software? Try to match it up with any criminal databases?" he asked. Juice gaped at him.

"No, I didn't," he responded.

"Only two types of people go to those kinds of lengths to hide who they are: victims of abuse and those running from the law. I'm guessing he's the latter. I got a feeling something will turn up," Clay said. Juice nodded.

"Alright, if it turns up anything, I should know by tomorrow," he said. Clay nodded.

"Keep me updated," he responded. Juice nodded and stood, walking back over to his office, hoping that Clay was right. If Brad was wanted by enough people, he'd be able to get all the information he needed.

* * *

**A/N Just wanted to say thanks again to all my readers/reviewers/subscribers! You guys make writing this story so much more fun so thank you so much! **

**Next chapter Stacey will finally make her decision on who she wants to be with, so that back and forth will be concluded soon, and it won't be long before we find out more about who Brad really is. **

**Again, please please review! Hearing your thoughts on the story makes my day, I can't even tell you how I appreciate the reviews I've gotten! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - THANK YOU to all my readers and especially the 11 of you that reviewed the last chapter - it made me so happy :) **

**I just wanted to say a quick reminder that if you're in the market for another good Opie story, check out Dr. Feelgood by AFspouse, or Crushes and Conspiracy by our joint account Kristinmw AFspouse. **

**ALSO - we got a SONS OF ANARCHY category added at The Writer's Coffee Shop and Crushes and Conspiracy has been posted over there as well. We might start posting all of our work in both places (TWCS and FF), just in case FF decides to take it down for MA content. TWCS has an NC-17 option. **

**And one of my reviewers requested Tara come back to Charming ... I'm toying with the idea but it just depends how long the story goes. I have plans to keep the story as close to canon as I can with all of the stuff that we know of that happened before season 1, which means Wendy will be making an appearance pretty soon, but Tara might come back, it'll just be much much later as this story is still about 2-3 years before the start of season 1.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please please review and let me know if you did and what your thoughts are! **

* * *

Stacey had almost made it to Charming when her cell phone started ringing. She knew right away that it would be Brad calling to find out where she was. She'd had to head down to Charming in such a hurry and he was out on a construction job, so she hadn't been able to tell him she was leaving.

"Where are you?" he asked as soon as she picked up.

"Hey, I left you a voicemail, you weren't answering your phone," she said, "Clay called, says my mom is sick and won't be able to work in the office for a few days. He needs me to come down to Charming and help out. I'll probably be down here for a few days." There was silence on the other end of the phone as Stacey waited for his response.

"You're what?" he finally said. Stacey sighed.

"On my way to Charming," she repeated.

"Absolutely not. No. No way. Turn around right now, Clay can manage without you," Brad demanded.

"Excuse me? Clay has never asked for my help before. He must really be in a bind if he's asking for it now," Stacey retorted.

"No, Stacey, I don't trust you down there, I don't trust Opie when you're down there. No way. I'm putting my foot down – you need to come back right now," Brad said, sounding like he was on the verge of a panic attack. Stacey frowned.

"You're 'putting your foot down'?" Stacey scoffed, "You can't keep doing this; they're my family,"

"Then your parents and your brother can come here!" he shouted, "But only them, and only if I'm here, too. I don't trust any of them." Stacey didn't respond for a second, so shocked by his pronouncement. They'd gotten into fights before, but she'd never seen this side of him before, and she definitely didn't like it. Her anger eventually overcame her shock as she started shouting at him.

"If you forgive me, you forgive me!" she yelled into the phone, "You can't keep holding what happened with Opie over my head, and you certainly can't _forbid_ me to go visit my family."

"Yes, I can! That place is toxic to this relationship. We were fine before we came back here and you let all of that biker trash back into your life!" he shouted back. Stacey narrowed her eyes. _Nobody_ called _her _family biker trash.

"I ever hear you call them that again, and it'll be the last conversation we ever have," Stacey said, her voice a low growl, "I can't keep doing this with you, I can't keep choosing you over my family. You keep giving me ultimatums like that, and it's going to end up being them." Brad was silent for almost a full minute, breathing heavy as if he was trying to control his rage. When he finally spoke again, it was in the tender and sweet voice Stacey had gotten used to when they first met in Ireland.

"I'm sorry, Stacey. I just know they don't like me and I'm just terrified of losing you," he said. Stacey heaved a sigh, pulling the phone away from her ear and rubbing her temple.

"I need some time to think," Stacey said, putting the phone back up to her ear.

"Think about what?" he asked, his voice rising again.

"Think about us, Brad! Think about if I really want a boyfriend who I'll have to fight with every time I want to see my family!" she yelled. She got control of her temper and finished with, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." She was about to hang up the phone when she heard him call her name. She put the phone back up to her ear.

"What?" she said shortly.

"I love you," he whispered into the phone, "Just come back here and we can talk about this." She paused before answering, wondering for the first time if he really meant it or if he was just saying it because he wanted her to come back.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," she reiterated as she hung up the phone and immediately turned it off. She didn't want to be bothered by any more calls from him. After that phone call, she really needed to think hard about their relationship. She hadn't even realized it happening, but it wasn't her family rocking the boat with her relationship with Brad, it was her relationship with Brad rocking the boat between her and her family, and she was incredibly angry, with herself and with him, for letting him do that to her.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"Baby girl!" Clay called as Stacey pulled into the TM lot and stepped out of the car. She grinned at him as he walked up, giving her a hug, "Thanks so much for coming down so quickly."

"Of course," Stacey said, "I don't start school until next week, so I've got some time on my hands." Clay beamed at her, walking her to the office.

"How's mom?" Stacey asked as she took a seat at the desk.

"She'll be fine," Clay said dismissively, "Just came down with a pretty bad cold this morning. She's at the doctor now." She was actually out shopping with Neeta at the moment, perfectly healthy, but had agreed to the ruse to get Stacey back from Sacramento. Gemma agreed that there was something off about Brad, and was willing to do whatever it took to get Stacey away from him until they knew more about who he was, and hiding out pretending to be sick for a couple of days was a small price to pay.

"So you'll be able to stay for a couple of days?" Clay asked. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, of course," she responded.

"Great. We're really getting behind in here," he said as Stacey glanced at the mountain of paperwork on the desk and nodded.

"I can see that," she said, as she eyed the papers unenthusiastically, "Okay, well I guess I better get started." Clay nodded, leaving her alone in the office. She'd been working in the office off and on since high school, so she was well aware of what needed to be done, but that didn't mean she was all that excited about it. She sighed as she sifted through all the papers and began filing the completed ones away.

A couple of minutes before closing time, Juice walked into the office, smiling when he saw Stacey. She grinned up at him, standing to give him a hug.

"Hey, come have a drink with us in the clubhouse when you get finished," Juice told her and she nodded.

"Yeah, okay. I wanted to go check on my mom first, though," she said. Juice shook his head.

"Clay told me she's already in bed. Just needs to get a lot of rest, she'll be better in a couple of days. She got some of that cough syrup from the doctor that knocked her right out," he said, reciting the lie given to him by Clay. Stacey frowned.

"Oh, okay, then. Give me a few minutes to finish up and I'll be over there," she responded. He grinned.

"Great," he said, turning to leave the office. Stacey sat back in her chair and sighed. She'd so far avoided seeing Opie, but she knew she wasn't going to able to avoid him forever. She wasn't really angry anymore for him outing her to Brad; the truth was, she should've told him about the kiss when it happened. She subconsciously ran her fingers over her lips; they still tingled whenever she thought about Opie pressing her against the wall and kissing her like he had.

She stacked the papers she hadn't gotten to in the inbox and locked the office behind her as she made her way over to the clubhouse. Walking in, she saw a couple of hang arounds playing a game of pool while Clay sat with Tig, Chibs, and Bobby on the couches, drinking a few beers. Juice, Jax, and Opie were sitting at the bar while a couple of croweaters pulled drinks for them. Juice called her over when he saw her walk in and she made her way over to them nervously. Jax grinned when he saw her, standing up to give her a hug while Opie remained on his stool, looking up at her.

"Get the girl a beer," Jax told one of the croweaters as he stood to hug his sister.

"So you left dinner without saying good bye," Jax said as he pulled out of the hug and returned to his seat. Stacey glanced over at Opie, who hadn't taken his eyes off of her, and nodded.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry… Brad got upset about something and I needed to leave," she explained vaguely. Jax nodded.

"Look, I know that relationship is important to you, but you're important to us. It would be nice if we weren't always coming in second," he said. Stacey looked at Jax, the guilt bubbling up inside of her once again.

"You're right," she sighed, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, but I may not have to worry about that anymore anyway." Opie perked his head up, looking at her intensely.

"What do you mean?" Juice asked. Stacey shrugged, shaking her head. She didn't want to tell them about her fight with Brad in front of Opie; that was a conversation they needed to have in private. She picked up the beer the croweater had pulled for her and took a sip. She glanced nervously at Opie who gave her a small smile.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked her. She gulped, glancing over at Jax and Juice before nodding at Opie. Jax narrowed his eyes as he watched Opie stand and led Stacey outside. He looked over at Juice.

"In 5 minutes go outside and get Stacey," Jax told him calmly, taking a sip of his beer. Juice raised his eyebrows, looking back over at Brad.

"There a reason you don't want her talking to Opie?" Juice asked.

"How about you just do what I ask," Jax said irritably. If it was gonna happen with Stacey and Opie, it was gonna happen, but that didn't mean he had to make it too easy on them.

Stacey followed Opie outside, her heart racing and her nerves nearly overpowering her as he sat on top of the picnic table, motioning for her to join him. The lot was completely empty apart from them and the silence was almost overwhelming as Opie took his time pulling a cigarette out of his pack and lighting it. Stacey's leg shook nervously as she waited for him to gather his thoughts. He took a drag of his cigarette, looking straight ahead of him.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," he finally said, exhaling slowly, "for saying that shit to… him." He couldn't even bring himself to say the asshole's name. Stacey shook her head, turning to look at Opie.

"It's okay, Opie," she said, "Really. It was something I should've told him myself." Opie nodded, finally looking over at her.

"Why didn't you?" he asked. Stacey shrugged.

"Because… at the time I was trying to save our relationship," she said.

"At the time?" Opie asked. Stacey looked over at him, debating how much to tell him. She had pretty much decided that when she talked to Brad the next day like she said she would, it would be to end their relationship, but wasn't sure if she was ready for Opie to have that bit of information. Before she could speak, however, Juice stuck his head out of the door.

"Stacey, there you are!" he said, ignoring the mutinous expression on Opie's face at being interrupted, "I was trying to find you to see if you wanted to play darts." Stacey looked over at Opie once again before nodding at Juice and climbing off the picnic table.

"We'll talk again later, okay?" she said. '_Just as soon as I figure myself out' _she added to herself. Opie nodded, stubbing his cigarette out and following her inside.

A couple of hours later, things were getting rowdy in the clubhouse. The music was blasting, the drinks were flowing, and croweaters were taking turns on the stripper pole trying to impress the guys. After her game of darts with Juice, Stacey had made her rounds around the clubhouse making sure she said hi to everybody. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed being around the clubhouse, around her family, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy. She knew now that this was where she belonged, and that her mother was right – if Brad couldn't accept that, he could never fully accept her. After their conversation earlier that day, she knew Brad would never accept the club. It wasn't with him that she belonged.

She was starting to get tired, but whether it was liquid courage or her head finally starting to agree with her heart, she knew she couldn't go home before she finished her conversation with Opie. She thought back to the fantasy she'd had of growing old with Brad. Getting married, having kids, opening up her vet practice. She thought that would make her happy. She thought Brad could make her happy. But she realized now the only way she could ever be happy was with her family, and with the man she loved.

He was sitting at one of the round tables with Jax, Juice, and Chibs, several croweaters trying to throw themselves at them. She walked up behind Opie and leaned over his shoulder, whispering in his ear.

"Can we talk?" she asked. He inclined his head towards her, surprised. He hadn't expected her to seek him out again; it'd been like pulling teeth to talk to her ever since she came back from Ireland. He nodded, standing up and following her to the hallway that led to the dorms. Jax's eyes followed them as they left, debating on if he should interfere again, but he was distracted by a red head throwing herself on his lap and as she started nibbling on his ear, his sister became the last thing on his mind.

Stacey leaned up against the wall of the hallway looking up at Opie.

"So we were interrupted earlier," she started. He nodded, letting her continue, "You asked me if I was still trying to save my relationship with Brad." He continued to look at her expectantly, his heart beating so rapidly he was sure she could hear it. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Brad and I got in a fight about me coming down here," she said, her eyes searching his face, trying to gauge his reaction, "I don't think… I don't think he's the person I thought he was." Opie's eyebrows creased.

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly, wondering if she'd discovered something about him that Juice had yet to find. She sighed.

"When we first met, he was so great, treated me like a fucking princess. But ever since we've come back to California, he's become possessive and it's a constant battle with him to come down here. And I don't ever think that's going to change because… because I think he knows how I feel about you," she finished, her heart beating rapidly as she looked up at him. His eyes searched her face as he took another step towards her, closing the space between them.

"And how do you feel about me?" he asked, his voice husky and his face inches from hers. Stacey struggled to breathe as she tried to muster the courage to say the words.

"I feel like… I love you," she whispered. As soon as the words left her lips, Opie moved, his body pressed against her as he kissed her passionately. She responded just as urgently, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him to her. After what felt like years, Stacey reluctantly parted from him to catch her breath and Opie rested his forehead against hers, smiling at her. He turned his head to look down the hall toward the clubhouse, suddenly remembering they were not alone. Opie took her hand, jerking his head the other way.

"Come to my room?" It was a question, and his eyes searched her face for the answer. She looked up at him and both her head and her heart leapt with happiness, shutting down the tiny twinge of guilt her subconscious was trying to scream at her. She nodded and he gave her hand a small squeeze before leading her to his dorm room in the back of the clubhouse. He opened the door for her and she walked in as he followed her, closing and locking the door behind him.

He turned around from the door and she walked up to him slowly. He took in every part of her, from her long, wavy hair that he wanted to run his hands through, to the shorts she wore, showing off her toned legs. She stopped in front of him, running her hands under his cut and up his chest, feeling his strong body under her fingers and sending shivers down his spine as her eyes slowly rose to meet his. She held his gaze as her hands made their way up to his shoulders, slipping his cut off and letting it fall to the floor. She dug her hand through his hair before gripping it, pulling him down to her. He kissed her gently, his hands tugging at the bottom of her shirt and she raised her arms, allowing him to take it off. He ran his hands down her bare back as he turned to sit on the edge of the bed and she stood in front of him. She unbuttoned her shorts, wriggling her hips so they fell to the floor and crawled on his lap, straddling him as she ran her hands through his hair and leaned forward to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her urgently as she ground her hips against his, feeling him harden beneath her.

Stacey reached down, pulling his t-shirt off over his head and threw it to the ground behind her. Opie gripped her ass, standing and flipping her around so she was sitting on the bed as he stood in front of her. He unsnapped her bra and she shrugged it off quickly before reaching for his belt buckle, undoing it hurriedly and his jeans fell easily to the floor, his boxers quickly following. He looked down at her, his eyes meeting hers as she slowly ran her tongue along her palm and reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his hardening cock. He groaned, resisting the urge to throw his head back, not wanting to break eye contact as she slowly pumped her fist along his length until he couldn't take it anymore.

Opie growled, crawling on top of her, forcing her on her back. He slipped his fingers in the band of her panties and tugged them down. She kicked them off and Opie took his place between her legs, looking down at her as he brushed a piece of her hair off her face. He swallowed hard, full of anticipation as her eyes filled with longing.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, his eyes raking her face. She smiled at him, pulling him down to kiss her. She raised her knee, resting her foot on the back of his thigh and moaned as he slowly entered her. He wanted to take his time with her, feel every part of her. This was not the pounding, wham, bam that he gave to croweaters.

He continued kissing her, moving to her neck and kissing it hungrily as he began to thrust in and out. She gripped his shoulders, her expression one of pure ecstasy as she felt him fill her. She arched her back as he kissed along her collarbone and down to her breasts. As her breathing shallowed, he picked up his pace, wanting to feel her cum around him. He got his wish as she tossed her head back, screaming his name, music to his ears. Her hands gripped the sheets above her head as he felt her walls constrict and pulse around him, and a shudder ran through her body. She gasped, her eyes wide as they met Opie's and it was too much for him. He thrust into her completely as he emptied himself into her.

Opie leaned forward, kissing her, not wanting to lose the closeness he felt to her. She gripped his body, pulling him against her and kissed him back. He finally and reluctantly pulled away from her, rolling off of her and pulling her into him. She snuggled against him, the blissful feeling wearing off as guilt wrapped its ugly hand around her heart.

"What's wrong?" Opie asked worriedly, looking down at her expression. She propped herself up on her elbow, biting her lip slightly. She shook her head and sighed.

"I just feel like a cheating whore," she muttered sardonically. Opie frowned, shaking his head.

"Don't do that," he said, pulling her back against him and running his hand along her arm, "You were gonna break up with him anyway – what's the problem?"

"The problem is I haven't done it yet," she said. Opie looked down at her, at the girl he'd wanted for over a year, and fear gripped him.

"You still want to, though, right?" he asked. She looked up at him, reaching her hand up to brush his hair back, her hand lingering on his face.

"Of course I do," she murmured reassuringly.

"Then you'll tell him tomorrow, everything will be fine," he said, "Don't worry." She nodded, resting her head back on his chest, intertwining her leg with his, and fell asleep.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

The next morning Stacey woke up to Opie watching her, his arm still wrapped around her, holding her close, his fingers running along the length of her body. She moaned sleepily, smiling at him.

"Good morning," she said. He smiled back at her.

"I love you," he told her and her heart rejoiced.

"I love you," she said. Her smile faltered as she thought about the day that lay ahead of her.

"We need to talk to Clay," he told her, "Today." She nodded.

"I know, I need to go and see Brad first, though," she sighed. Opie frowned.

"Just call him. Or better yet, send him a text message," he replied.

"I can't, Opes. We were together for over 6 months. I need to tell him in person. Besides, I still have stuff at his apartment that I need to pick up," she said. Opie sighed, running his hand over his face.

"I don't want you going up there alone," he said, "I'll go with you." Stacey shook her head, her eyes wide.

"No, I need to do this myself," she said, rolling off him and standing up to get dressed, "I won't be gone long, I promise." Opie sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed as he watched her dress.

"What, you're going now?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I just want to get this over with," she told him, "Besides, I need to be back in time to help Clay out in the office. I'll only be gone a couple of hours, and then when I get back we'll talk to Clay." She finished getting dressed and walked over to stand in between his legs, running her hands through his long hair. She kissed him lightly on the lips, her eyes sparkling.

"Stacey I got a bad feeling about this," Opie told her, grasping her hand, "I'll just follow you up, wait outside." Stacey shook her head.

"It's bad enough I'm dumping him for you. He doesn't need you outside the door rubbing it in," she said firmly. He looked back at her, wondering if he should push the issue. It was a little early to start a fight and he was worried he'd do exactly what Brad had done and push her away. Now that he had her, he was terrified of losing her, and as far as he knew Juice hadn't found out anything that would lead him to believe that Brad was actually dangerous.

"God you're such a stubborn bitch, you know that?" he said. She kissed him.

"Part of what you love about me," she said. His expression remained doubtful.

"It'll be fine, I promise," she said, kissing him again and looked around for her purse before realizing she left it out in the clubhouse.

"Okay, well I'll call you when I'm on my way back," she said.

"I don't hear from you in an hour, I'm coming up there," he told her. She rolled her eyes.

"It'll take me at least 40 minutes to get there," she reminded him.

"Then I guess you better hurry," he told her as she walked out the door. She turned down the hall and ran into Juice, who raised his eyebrows to see her leaving the dorm rooms.

"You didn't see me, I wasn't here," she told him, grinning, "At least not until we talk to Clay this afternoon." Juice threw his hands over his ears.

"I didn't just hear any of that," he said, wincing. She laughed and walked into the empty clubhouse, finding her purse lying on a couch and hurried outside to her car.

Juice watched her leave and sat back at his computer, checking to see if Brad's picture had gotten any hits yet. Nothing so far, so while he waited he pulled out all the sheets on the background he could find on the employees of CZ Construction. They all had little more information than Brad, but most of them at least had previous addresses and the dates of residence, as well as a smattering of bank account records, none of which told him anything. None of them had current addresses.

As he looked over the information, he thought he noticed something strange and grabbed a highlighter, highlighting all the dates of residence. He drew out a timeline on a blank sheet of paper, noticing none of the dates overlapped. It seemed when one of them disappeared, another one surfaced. Juice was willing to bet these were all aliases that Brad had used previously.

Opie walked out of the dorm just then and Juice glanced up as he saw him walk up.

"You got anything yet?" Opie asked. Juice shrugged.

"A couple things turned up, but it's all speculation," he said, telling Opie about what he had just noticed and how he suspected they were all different names for the same man. Opie ran his hand through his hair, looking worried.

"What do you think he's running from?" he asked. Juice shrugged and Opie frowned, digging his pre-pay out of his pocket to call Stacey. He didn't like the sound of someone that would go to those kinds of lengths to change their identity, over and over again.

"Shit," he grumbled as her phone went straight to voicemail, "Stacey's got her phone turned off."

"Where'd she go?" Juice asked.

"To the asshole's apartment to break up with him," Opie said through gritted teeth, half a second away from jumping on his bike and following her up there, when Juice's computer beeped.

"I got a hit," Juice said, rushing back to his computer. While the information printed out, he explained to Opie how he'd run Brad's face through their facial recognition software, hoping to get a hit off of one of the crime databases. Juice grabbed the sheet of paper feeding out of the printer and Opie stood over his shoulder as their eyes roamed over the information.

"Oh fuck," Opie muttered as they both ran outside.


	8. Chapter 8

**Last Chapter:**

"Where'd Stacey go?" Juice asked.

"To the asshole's apartment to break up with him," Opie said through gritted teeth, half a second away from jumping on his bike and following her up there, when Juice's computer beeped.

"I got a hit," Juice said, rushing back to his computer. While the information printed out, he explained to Opie how he'd run Brad's face through their facial recognition software, hoping to get a hit off of one of the crime databases. Juice grabbed the sheet of paper feeding out of the printer and Opie stood over his shoulder as their eyes roamed over the information.

"Oh fuck," Opie muttered as they both ran outside.

* * *

Opie flung the clubhouse door open, running straight to his bike. He saw Clay and Jax in the office and hollered for them. He hurriedly buckled his helmet and revved his bike as Clay and Jax ran out of the office towards them.

"Catch them up!" Opie called to Juice over the sound of his bike, "I'm going after her." Without waiting for Juice to respond, he sped out of the Teller Morrow lot and raced down the road. Stacey had gotten a good head start on him, and he was just hoping it wouldn't be too late by the time he got there. He kept reminding himself that Brad had never shown any signs of violence before, but with this new information on him, he was worried that Stacey's news would send him over the edge.

"What?" Clay barked at Juice as the rumble of Opie's bike died away.

"Got a hit on Brad," Juice said, "It looks bad. He's lied about everything, even his age."

"Stacey with him?" Jax asked. Juice nodded.

"She's on her way up there now, but Opie already tried calling her and her phone is turned off. He went to try and catch up with her."

"Give us the highlights," Clay said as he and Jax both moved towards their bikes, "You can catch us up on the rest later."

"Highlights would be that he's wanted by Interpol for questioning related to the deaths of his entire family in the Czech Republic," Juice said. Clay's face set, his expression stony as he rushed to throw his helmet on. Jax and Juice both followed his lead and soon they were speeding down the highway, rushing to catch up with Opie. They spotted him several miles down the road and Opie nodded to them in recognition as he raced on.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey pulled up to Brad's apartment, her heart racing. This wasn't the first time she'd had to break up with somebody, but it's not like you got used to it the more often you did it. She grimaced, sitting in her car, mustering up the courage to walk up to the door.

"It's like ripping off a band-aid," she muttered to herself, climbing out of the car. She walked through the door of the apartment to see Brad in the kitchen. He looked over when he saw her walk in, beaming at her.

"You came back!" he said, rushing over to pull her into a hug, "I was so worried. Stace, I'm so sorry about what I said, I swear I didn't mean any of it, I just freaked out." She remained stiff in his arms and he finally pulled away from her, looking at her curiously.

"What?" he asked. Stacey sighed.

"We need to talk," she said, wincing at the cliché sound of the phrase. Brad's eyes narrowed as he continued to look at her.

"About what?" he said cautiously.

"About us, Brad," she said, trying to force herself to maintain eye contact with him when all she wanted to do was look away, "I can't… I can't be with you anymore."

"What do you mean you can't be with me anymore? Stacey, I _love_ you," he said, his voice shaking. Stacey shook her head.

"I want to break up," she responded, turning her eyes to the ceiling. He didn't say anything for almost a minute, and she finally turned her eyes back to him, surprised to see the rage in his expression.

"You want to break up!" he screamed at her, and she winced, taking a step back.

"Yes," she said meekly. He started pacing along the living room.

"This is about Opie, isn't it?" he asked her fiercely, stopping in his tracks and turning to look at her. She bit her lip as she looked at his terrifying expression, "Answer me!" he screamed.

"No," she stated calmly, "Well, not entirely. This is about you trying to change me, not accepting my family. You'll never understand me." Brad's shoulders were shaking from suppressed rage.

"Yeah, you're right," he said nastily, "Once a biker whore always a biker whore. Bet you've fucked them all, haven't you?" He sneered at her as she gaped at him, "They probably just pass you around. Should've known you were all used up when I met you in Ireland." Stacey tried to remind herself that he was just pissed she was breaking up with him. She struggled to keep her face impassive.

"Right… I'm just gonna go grab my stuff," she said, trying to walk past him to his bedroom where most of her clothes were, but he grabbed her arm, spinning her around to look at him.

"No. We're not breaking up," he stated firmly. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Brad… this isn't a mutual agreement kind of thing. I'm breaking up with you," she said, as firmly yet kindly as she could manage. She slipped the Claddagh ring off her finger and reached out to hand it to him but he slapped her hand away, causing the ring to fly across the room. His eyes blazed at her.

"This messes EVERYTHING up!" he screamed at her, "It was never this difficult with the others. This was supposed to be easy! _YOU _were supposed to be easy! And then I find out you have this motorcycle gang for a family."

Stacey widened her eyes as she looked at him, a chill running down her spine – her body sending her a warning signal. She forgot about collecting her stuff and turned around, starting to run to the front door, wanting to put as much distance between herself and Brad as she possibly could. He beat her to the door, dead-bolting it and she turned around, running to the back door that led to the patio, functioning completely on instinct as her brain shut down.

'_Why is he being like this?' _her mind screamed, willing herself not to panic. She had her arm outstretched, reaching for the patio door. Before she could get to it, he grabbed her other arm, pulling her back to him and slammed her on her back on the floor, his hand around her throat. His grip tightened as she gasped for breath, her hands clawing at his wrist, trying to get him to relinquish his hold. He put his other hand up to her throat and she felt her airways close as she struggled against him.

"I'm just going to have to speed things up," he said to her, his voice low. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, trying to kick him but he threw his leg over hers so she couldn't move. Her eyes began to water as she lost the ability to breathe as for the first time she realized he could kill her. Her body went into full panic mode as she grabbed a hold of his wrists, tugging on them, but it did no good – he was too strong. Just as she was about to pass out, she heard the low rumble of motorcycles outside the apartment and relief flooded her body. That had to be them. Someone had come to help her.

Brad's head jerked up at the sound and he glared at her, an internal debate going on in his mind. He gave her throat one last squeeze before releasing his hold and running out to the patio at the back of the apartment.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie, Jax, Clay, and Juice broke nearly every traffic law in the state of California in their haste to get to Brad's apartment. Opie mentally kicked himself over and over for not insisting he go with Stacey, but at the time he didn't know the guy was a total nut job. They pulled into Brad's apartment and ran up to the door, finding it locked. Jax tried to kick it down but it wouldn't budge. Juice ran over to the window, grabbing a rock from the ground and threw it, shattering the window. He clambered inside, scraping his palms on the broken glass, and saw Stacey lying on the floor, gasping for breath. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with appreciation at seeing him there, and he ran to the door to unlock it as Clay, Jax, and Opie ran in.

As soon as Opie saw Stacey on the floor, he rushed to her side, lifting her up so she was draped across his lap.

"Where is he?" Clay yelled. Stacey pointed to the opened patio door, unable to speak. Clay took off out the back and Jax hesitated, torn between staying here with his sister and gutting the fucker that tried to hurt her.

"Go out the front!" Opie yelled to Jax, "I'll watch over Stacey." Jax nodded and rushed out the front door to see what he could find.

"Get her some water," Opie said to Juice, who immediately did as he asked. Stacey looked up at Opie, fear still etched in her eyes as she clung to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded, finally catching her breath and sitting up as Juice handed her a glass of water. She took it, wincing as she took a sip, the water running down her sore throat.

"He… he tried to kill me," she said, tenderly rubbing her neck. Opie's eyes darkened as he looked out at the patio and heard the rumble of motorcycles revving up.

"They'll find him," Opie assured her. She shook her head, the fear in her eyes ebbing away into anger.

"I can't believe that fucker tried to kill me!" she spat furiously, and Opie grinned.

"He'll get his, don't worry," he said, "Why don't we get your stuff together while we wait for them to get back?" Stacey nodded as Opie pulled her to her feet. He turned to Juice.

"Keep watch out front in case he comes back," he said. Juice nodded and walked out the front door as Stacey led Opie to Brad's room. She grabbed a suitcase from Brad's closet and started throwing clothes in it hastily.

"Did he say anything to you?" Opie asked as he watched her pack. She shrugged.

"Some crazy shit about how I was ruining everything by breaking up with him and how he needed to speed things up now," she replied. She reached into the closet to grab a couple more things and paused, frowning. She lowered her arm and turned to face Opie, "He said something about there being others before me." Opie's eyebrows creased.

"Others? What do you mean?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I don't know, I was kind of in the middle of being choked to death," she responded.

"Okay, well don't worry about it. We'll take care of it," Opie told her. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, resting her head on his chest.

"Thank you for coming to get me," she whispered, "You saved my life." Opie kissed the top of her head.

"That's what I'm here for," he said. He pulled her away from him to look at her, "I will _never_ let anything happen to you, okay? I promise." She smiled meekly at him and he pulled her back into him protectively. Juice walked into the bedroom just then followed by Clay and Jax. Clay narrowed his eyes at the sight of their embrace and they quickly parted, looking back and forth between Clay and Jax.

"Well?" Opie asked. Clay shook his head, frustrated while Jax stood next to him fuming.

"Lost him," he said, "Found his car a couple miles up the road near some woods, abandoned. Car cover lying next to it. Must have had a getaway car stashed."

"Doesn't surprise me," Juice said, "He's gotta be good to have managed to stay off Interpol's radar this long." Stacey frowned, jerking her head up.

"Interpol? What are you talking about?" she asked. Juice looked over at Clay, who was glaring mutinously at him, and shrank back. Clay walked over to Stacey, giving her a hug.

"Don't worry about it," he said, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Now tell me what the hell is going on," she said, pulling away from the hug to glare at her stepfather. He sighed.

"I don't even know the details. We'll talk about it back at the clubhouse," he said, glaring over at Juice.

"Okay, let me finish getting my stuff together," Stacey mumbled. Clay nodded, looking over at Jax.

"You do that, we're gonna look around the place, see if we can find any hints about where he might go," Clay said. He looked over at Opie, still suspicious of the hug he'd walked in on.

"Opie, take Juice. Go through his office, see if there's anything in there. Jax you can stay in here and help Stacey," Clay said. Stacey looked over at Opie who nodded and they all left the room, leaving Stacey with Jax. He leaned against the room, digging his cigarettes out of his pocket and lighting one.

"This is a non-smoking apartment," Stacey told him and he looked at her incredulously. She grinned, "So make sure you burn a hole through the carpet at least," she added, and he laughed, nodding. He took a drag of his cigarette, his smile fading.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Stace," he told her, "It shouldn't have. We should've been here. I knew something was off about that guy; I should've said something to you." Stacey shook her head.

"You're about the only one who didn't say something to me. I didn't listen. This is completely on me," she said, embarrassment flooding her. Jax started wandering around the room, looking at everything he had. Brad had been quite a minimalist, so there wasn't much. He tossed his cigarette on the carpet, stepping it out, before picking a vase up off the dresser.

"This yours?" Jax asked. Stacey looked over and shook her head as Jax threw the vase against the wall, causing it to shatter. Stacey's eyes widened.

"Watch your step over there, there's glass," he told her as Stacey rolled her eyes at him, smirking at his little joke. He grabbed a lamp with a hollow base off the end table.

"This yours?" he asked. She smirked at him.

"No," she said, watching as he predictably turned and threw that against the wall as well.

"Are you just gonna break all his stuff?" Stacey asked him, reaching into the closet for more clothes to throw in the suitcase.

"Well I'd like to smash his head into the wall, but as that isn't an option right now…" Jax grumbled. He looked around the room some more, seeing nothing left to smash and walked over to his dresser, tossing clothes out as he looked around to see if Brad hid anything in any of the drawers.

"You know I love you, right?" Stacey asked as she zipped up the suitcase. Jax smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too," he said begrudgingly. Finding nothing in the drawers, he walked over to carry the suitcase into the living room for her.

"I've got a bunch of stuff in here, too," Stacey remembered, unzipping the suitcase and walking around the living room, collecting picture frames, DVDs, and other odds and ends that she'd brought over. Jax, meanwhile, started demolishing the living room as he had done the kitchen.

"Hey, that was mine!" Stacey said, shaking her head at her brother as he broke a vase on the floor.

"Oh… sorry," Jax said, grinning apologetically as he walked over to the bookshelf and began tossing books over his shoulder.

"Whoa," Stacey said with surprise. Jax turned around to see the last few books that he'd tossed, a couple of large encyclopedias, lying open on the floor. They had been hollowed out and apparently stuffed with money that was now scattered all over the floor. Some of the bills were stacked and wrapped, others loose, most were 100 dollar bills. Jax stared at it for a second, shocked, as his eyes scanned the bills doing a rough estimate. His face broke out into a grin as he strode over to the cash.

"Well I'm keeping that," he said gleefully, scooping the money up and sticking it in Stacey's suitcase while Stacey stood there in shock. Unlike Jax, she was not used to seeing large amounts of money in cash.

"How much do you think that is?" she asked in a whisper. Jax shrugged, thumbing through the stacks of bills.

"Probably at least 50 grand right there," he stated and Stacey's eyebrows shot up, nearly hitting her hairline.

"What?" she screeched, "What the hell would he be doing with that kind of money?" Jax shrugged, shaking his head.

"No idea," he muttered. He looked around the living room and back at the book shelf, "Wonder if he's got any more stashed away anywhere…" he said to himself, walking back to the book shelf and continuing to dump books on the floor. No more wads of cash fell out, so he walked to the kitchen, looking in bottles and cans and through drawers.

"Brad drink a lot of Bailey's?" Jax called from the kitchen, opening the cupboard above the stove and seeing several bottles sitting up there. Stacey looked up, frowning.

"No… I never saw him drink anything but beer," she said. Jax reached up, grabbing a bottle and threw it on the ground.

"There it is," he said, as several wads of cash scattered around the kitchen floor. He grabbed the rest of the bottles, finding money in each of them, and he brought it all back to the living room. In the end, it all totaled at least 100 thousand dollars. Stacey watched as he stuffed in all in her suitcase, winking at her, as Jax, Clay, and Juice all wandered back into the living room. Juice was carrying several files from Brad's office.

"Got a couple things that might tell us more about him," Juice said, setting the files in Stacey's suitcase for the ride home, "And he had an external hard drive, so I copied everything from his computer onto that. Maybe that'll give us something." Stacey nodded, once again feeling the shame creep up on her over the fact that she had brought this monster into all of their lives, completely oblivious as to who he really was.

"Okay, well I'm done in here," Stacey said, zipping up her suitcase and standing up, looking around at the men in her life and suddenly overwhelmingly grateful for them all.

"Thanks for… coming," she told them lamely, not sure what to say to them all now that the shock of the events had passed. Clay walked up to her, gripping her tightly. He was a man of few words, but he put them all into that hug.

"We're just glad you're okay," he said, stepping back and grabbing her suitcase, walking it to her car.

"We can follow you back in your car," Jax told her as they all followed Clay out, "All that money's in your suitcase so don't go runnin' off to Vegas or something with it," he joked and Stacey's heart stopped for a moment before she plastered a grin on her face. She'd never told them about running off to Vegas with Brad. At the time, she'd trusted him, but now she knew anything could have happened to her, and her family would have been too far away to do anything about it. She shuddered at the thought, suddenly very thankful she got so sick they were forced to come back early.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

On the road back to Charming, Stacey was still pretty shaken up by what happened and had never been happier to see the Teller-Morrow Automotive sign in her life as she pulled into the lot. This was her safe haven. Nothing could happen to her here. Before she was out of her car, Clay, Jax, Juice, and Opie were already off their bikes and heading into the clubhouse. Stacey hurried after them to see them walking into the chapel. Apparently, they had called an emergency meeting while she had been packing because Bobby, Tig, Piney, and Chibs were all there as well.

"No way!" she called, rushing after them, knowing once those doors closed she'd never be allowed in the chapel, "I need to know what's going on." They paused on their way through the doors, turning around to look at her. Opie walked up to her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Let us deal with this, Stacey," he said. She shook her head firmly.

"No. I have to know. This is MY mess," she insisted, looking beseechingly at Clay.

"We'll fill you in later," Clay said firmly, "We need to discuss things that I don't necessarily want you to hear." Stacey sighed, resigned, looking back at Opie.

"You promise to fill me in later?" she asked. Opie glanced back over his shoulder at Clay before turning back to Stacey and nodding.

"We'll fill you in on as much as we can, without putting you at more risk," he told her. When she continued to frown, he shrugged, "That's the best I can do." She rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she grumbled, walking over to the bar and grabbing a beer as the guys entered the chapel, closing the doors behind them. She leaned back up against the bar and sighed. She was used to being kept in the dark about club business, and she generally liked it that way. But this time, what they were discussing concerned her and she didn't like not knowing. She shuddered to think what Brad meant by his psychotic ramblings back at his apartment, and couldn't help the feeling of humiliation and shame waft over her. How could she have been so blind not to see what he was really like? How could he have fooled her so well? She'd taken him back with her from Ireland, had walked him right into all of their lives, and now they had to pick up the pieces.

Clay banged his gavel on the table as soon as everyone had taken their seats, Piney, Bobby, Chibs, and Tig all looking at him curiously.

"Is someone gonna explain what the hell is going on?" Tig asked. Clay nodded.

"I called you all here because today that asshole my daughter's been dating tried to kill her, which automatically makes him an enemy to me," Clay started, looking around the table as everyone nodded at him, their eyes narrowed but their expressions remaining impassive, calculating. None of them showed the surprise they felt.

"She's okay?" Piney asked. Clay nodded.

"She's okay, but he slipped away before we could get him. Juice here was able to find some new information on the fucker and I thought it'd be best if we were all debriefed together," Clay explained. He turned to Juice. "Alright, catch us up on what you found." Juice cleared his throat, pulling out the information he'd printed out before they'd left from inside his cut, and looked around the table.

"Well he's lied about almost everything," he started, shaking his head, "Starting from the beginning, I guess, his real name is David Novak, he's 35, not 26 like Stacey thought, and he's originally from the Czech Republic. Records show that he's been in court mandated therapy when he was young after displays of animal cruelty." Juice paused, looking hesitantly around the table, and winced slightly before he continued, "Put a dog in a paper bag and set fire to it.

"A few years later, when he was 16, his entire family, which included his parents and two brothers, were killed under mysterious circumstances and he fled the country. He was wanted by Interpol for questioning related to their deaths, but after he ran they put a warrant out for him. He didn't pop up on their radar again for nearly 15 years, and it looks like he spent most of that time bouncing around the US, running scams under different aliases. There was an incident in Texas, a woman named Angela Peters, caught on to his scam and reported him to the police. She sent a picture up and it hit Interpol, but before the police could catch him he'd already disappeared again, and he was never seen again. Putting two and two together, my best guess is after Angela Peters called him out he fled the country and went to Ireland using the name Brad Willis, posing as a foreign exchange student. He used Stacey to disappear again in the states, but I haven't been able to figure out his motives." He looked down the table at Clay, who nodded, his expression grave.

"You know what the scam in Texas was?" he asked. Juice nodded.

"He has a company called CZ construction. My first instinct was that it was a dummy corp, and it looks like I was right. He had one during that time in Texas that he used all over to run small time scams, mostly charging people deposits for construction work and then moving on to another state with a different name when he had enough money and before he got caught," Juice explained, "I found a bunch of checks at his apartment proving he's running the same scam in Sacramento, under several different names."

"So it's just been the small time shit?" Clay asked. Juice shrugged.

"That's all I've found, but we're talking really small deposits. A couple hundred to a couple thousand each. He had less than 10 grand in those checks I've found, and Jax found 100 grand at the apartment, and that was just his cash. He had a nice car, a nice apartment… I know he's got more money stashed in these accounts, so I know he's up to something else besides the construction scams, I just don't know what," Juice said. Under Clay's scrutiny he added, "Yet."

"So why try to kill Stacey? What was her role in all of that?" Opie asked, "She told me he said there'd been others before her, and that he needed to speed up the process since she was leaving him." Juice shook his head.

"As far as I can tell, he hasn't killed anybody since his family," Juice said, "His MO is to scam people out of these small time deposits and then disappear."

"So you don't think he'll be back?" Bobby asked. Juice shook his head.

"Once he leaves a place, he's gone. He knows we're on to him, probably figures Stacey would've gone to the police by now. He's a really smart guy. He's been able to elude international arrest for almost 20 years, sneak into the country by duping people into sponsoring him, was able to make over 10 different full identities for himself, and set up who-knows-how-many dummy corps on his own. He's not stupid enough to come back to an area that people are looking for him. My guess is he's halfway to Nebraska by now," Juice said.

"Either way, I want you to stay on this. Get everything you can on him, anything that might tell us where he went," Clay said.

"He's not getting away with this," Jax said, "If Juice hadn't gotten that information at the right time my sister would be dead right now." He glanced over at Opie, whose mouth was set in a firm line.

"You knew she was going out there," Jax said, his tone accusatory, "Just let her go." Opie frowned.

"You think I woulda let her go alone if I knew all this shit? None of us knew!" Opie yelled. Clay banged his gavel and Opie and Jax sat back in their seats, glaring at each other.

"Not the time!" Clay yelled at them, "Now's the time to discuss what we do when we find him." Jax looked at him incredulously.

"What do you mean what we do? We put a bullet in his brain, that's what we do!" he yelled. Clay looked around the table and Jax looked with him.

"This doesn't have anything to do with the club. This about retaliation against what he did to my sister," Jax said.

"Alright. At church on Friday I'll expect a new report on what else you've found," Clay said, looking over at Juice who nodded. Clay banged his gavel and stood, throwing it on the table.

"I need a drink," he muttered as they all stalked back into the clubhouse. Opie grabbed Jax's shoulder before he could leave the room, letting the others file out in front of them.

"Do you have something you need to say to me?" Opie asked him. Jax glared at him for a second before his expression softened and he shook his head.

"I'm just pissed he was able to get away," he said, "I don't think what happened was your fault." Opie nodded. That was about as close to 'I'm sorry' as he was going to get from Jax.

"You know I'd do anything to protect her," Opie reminded him.

"Yeah, brother, I know," Jax said, looking at Opie warningly, "And speaking of, whatever it is you've got going on with my sister, you need to hash it out with Clay before it's too late."

"Yeah, I was going to talk to him when Stacey got back from Sacramento… which I guess is now," Opie said resignedly, following Jax out of the clubhouse.

Stacey perked up from her stool at the bar as she watched Opie and Jax walk out of the chapel. They'd been the last to file out, the others having already come and filtered in around the bar, pouring drinks and pulling beers before dissipating around the clubhouse. Opie saw her sitting at the bar and walked over to her, taking a seat next to her and she looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I'll explain it later," he told her, glancing back at where Clay stood with Tig and Bobby, "We need to talk to Clay." Stacey's eyes widened.

"Now?" she asked, looking over at her step-father, "He doesn't look like he's in a very good mood." Opie smirked at her.

"He's never in a good mood," he pointed out. Stacey sighed, running her fingers through her hair nervously. Opie cupped her chin, turning her to look at him.

"You're my president's daughter. We can't do this until we talk to him," he told her.

"Maybe we can just get my mom to talk to him," Stacey said hopefully, "She's all for us being together." Opie laughed, shaking his head.

"And have Clay think I'm the world's biggest pussy?" he asked, "No, we need to do it."

"What if he says no?" she asked fearfully. Opie ran his hand through his beard. The thought had crossed his mind as well, but he knew there was no going forward without Clay's blessing. It was enough to get a man killed.

"We gotta take that risk," he said, shrugging. When Stacey still looked nervous, he added, "If he says no, then we can have your mom talk to him." She gave Opie a small smile and nodded in agreement, standing from her stool.

"Okay, I'll go get him," she sighed, dragging her feet to where Clay stood. Opie watched as Clay pulled her into him, whispering something in her ear as she nodded up at him smiling. She said something back to him and Clay looked over at Opie, his eyes narrowed. Clay turned back to Tig and Bobby before walking with Stacey over to the bar.

"I need a drink for this," Clay said, glaring at Opie as he walked past him, refilling his glass with straight whiskey and tossed it back. He slammed the glass down on the bar and looked between Opie and Stacey.

"So I just get through dealing with Stacey's crazy ass boyfriend, and now I gotta deal with this," he said. He looked over at Stacey thoughtfully before he spoke again, "This is really what you want, baby girl?" Stacey nodded, moving closer to Opie and looking up at him before returning her gaze to Clay.

"I love him," she said boldly and Clay raised his eyebrows in surprise, before narrowing them at Opie.

"And you?" he asked, "You prepared for that?" Opie nodded, glancing down at Stacey.

"I love her, too," he said, and Stacey beamed at him. Clay frowned.

"You know what happens if you hurt her?" he asked. Opie nodded.

"Yeah, brother, I know," he said. Clay nodded, taking another shot of whiskey, looking back at Stacey.

"You seem to be running through boys pretty quickly. Sure you don't want to take some time after what happened to you?" he asked, a slight note of hope in his voice, but Stacey shook her head.

"I've already had to wait over 10 years, Clay. This is what I want," she said. Clay sighed. He didn't like it, but after dealing with a nutcase like Brad, he was losing faith in Stacey's judgment of character. Who knew what the next guy she'd bring home would be? At least Opie was someone he knew, someone he could keep an eye on, someone who wouldn't turn out to be a sociopath and try to kill her.

"Yeah, alright," he eventually grumbled and Stacey's face broke out in an ear-to-ear grin as she ran around the bar and wrapped her arms around Clay.

"Thanks, dad," she murmured and he raised his eyebrows in surprise before returning the hug. She rarely called him 'dad'.

"Yeah, baby girl," he responded in a low voice, and she pulled away, still smiling as she walked back to Opie, who returned the smile at her, pulling her into him and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Clay looked at Opie.

"Don't think just because we're brothers I won't kill you," he said calmly and Opie nodded.

"Yeah, I'm under no such delusions," Opie responded.

* * *

**A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter - I can't tell you how much I love and appreciate all of the reviews! I meant to get this chapter up a couple of days ago, but I'm on vacation and time got away from me, so I'm sorry for leaving y'all hanging for so long! **

** I hope y'all liked this chapter! There are still some secrets they haven't uncovered about Brad yet that will come to light later, but they know the majority of it now.**

** Please please please review and let me know what you think! **


	9. Chapter 9

Stacey walked into the clubhouse early Friday evening feeling a sense of accomplishment after finishing her first month of vet school at UC Davis. She'd driven straight to the clubhouse after finishing her last class of the week and all she wanted was a cold beer and Opie's arms wrapped around her. After the meeting over Brad several weeks ago, Opie had explained to her everything that Juice had found about Brad, but Stacey was inclined to agree with Juice – she didn't think Brad would be stupid enough to come back. As it'd been a month with no sign of him, she figured that obstacle was permanently out of the way and Brad was now the furthest thing on her mind.

Walking into the clubhouse, she looked around and saw Gemma sitting at the bar and a couple of croweaters and hang-arounds milling around, but no Sons.

"They still in church?" Stacey asked her mom, walking around the bar to get a beer. Gemma nodded, eyeing her.

"They can do that for you, you know," Gemma said, nodding her head to the croweaters. Stacey shrugged, taking a seat on the barstool next to Gemma.

"I've always gotten my own beers," she said, "Unless Jax is around."

"Yeah, well things have changed now that you and Opie are together," Gemma told her, "You give those whores an inch, they're gonna walk all over you." Stacey rolled her eyes.

"Mom I'm not one of Jax's idiot girlfriends," she pointed out, "I've been around, I think I know how it works. I have no intention of giving them an inch, but I also don't always need them getting my beers for me." Gemma quirked an eyebrow at her and Stacey shrugged.

"They leave a skank aftertaste that I don't really like," Stacey said and Gemma laughed, "I like the system we've got going. They ignore me, I ignore them – it's harmony."

"I guess I've just had to watch too many of Jax's idiot girlfriends get run off because of them. I don't want the same thing to happen to you," Gemma said. Stacey raised her eyebrows, looking at her mother. The last idiot girlfriend her brother had had bulldozed straight through his heart 7 years ago and hadn't been mentioned since. It had taken Jax years to get over the rejection and she still wouldn't say he was _over _it. Intent to move on, more like.

"I'll be fine, mom," Stacey said, "I'm not going anywhere." Gemma smiled, patting Stacey's leg as Stacey continued to eye the chapel doors, hoping they wouldn't be long. Ever since she and Opie had gotten together, she found the more time she spent away from him the more she couldn't wait to see him again.

"How long have they been in there?" Stacey asked.

"'Bout an hour, shouldn't be much longer," Gemma replied, "How was school?" Stacey grinned, happy for the distraction from the chapel doors.

"Awesome!" she said excitedly, "The professors seem great so far and I think my classes are going to be really interesting." Gemma nodded, smiling back at her.

"You know I'm proud of you, baby," she said and Stacey beamed – those were rare words coming from her mother. She wasn't the type to lavish out praise, but that just meant that it meant so much more when she did.

"Thanks, mom," she said sincerely. She jerked her head up at the sound of the chapel doors opening and watched as the guys spilled out, looking for one in particular. She jumped up to grab a beer for Opie and walked it over to him, smiling shyly.

"Hi," she said, handing him the beer. He grinned at her, and for a moment it was just the two of them in the world. Opie took the offered beer with one hand and pulled her against him with his other.

"Hi," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her as she curled an arm around his neck. Jax cleared his throat next to them and they broke apart, arms still intertwined, to look over at him.

"This is happening, Jax," Stacey told him, causing Opie to chuckle and Jax to frown.

"Yeah, I know, but does it have to happen right in front of me?" Jax asked. Stacey pulled her arm off of Opie's shoulder, winking at him before looking at her brother.

"I guess not," Stacey replied, her voice reluctant, and Jax looked mollified. Stacey looked back up at Opie, grinning devilishly, "Guess we'll just have to go back to your dorm room so it doesn't have to happen right in front of him." Opie smirked, grabbing her hand as they started walking towards the rooms in the back.

"That's not what I meant!" Jax shouted after them. Stacey laughed, wrapping her arm around Opie's as she looked at Jax over her shoulder.

"I'm just trying to respect your feelings, big brother," she called back and he rolled his eyes at her. Opie grinned as he unlocked the door to his room. She walked in and waited for him to follow her, closing and locking the door behind him before sweeping her in his arms.

"I missed you today," she murmured, tilting her head up, asking for him to kiss her.

"I missed you, too," he said softly, his lips brushing against hers before kissing her intensely, his hands moving to her back, holding her against him. He swept the hair off her shoulders, his lips trailing across her jawline and down to her neck. She slowly slipped his cut off his shoulders, her hands moving underneath his shirt, trailing up his chest. He looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Here?" he asked, "Now?" They had so far refrained from getting intimate at the clubhouse whenever any member of her family was there, with the exception of Jax who never fucking left even though he had his own house, but it was beginning to become a problem since she was still living at Clay and Gemma's house. She was beginning to feel like she was in high school again. In response, she tugged his shirt over his head, flinging it over her shoulder.

"Just a quickie," she murmured and Opie chuckled.

"I'll see what I can do, darlin'," he said, smirking, "Now raise your arms." She did as he asked and he tore her shirt over her head before chucking it to the ground. She began to lower her hands but he grabbed them, pushing her against the wall and holding her hands above her head before continuing his assault on her neck. She moaned, getting turned on by his forcefulness.

He eventually let her hands go so he could wrap his arms around her back, unsnapping her bra while she reached out, fumbling with the zipper of his jeans, her desire for him increasing with his every touch.

"I want you now," she said breathlessly. They both jerked the rest of their clothes off and Opie scooped her up, throwing her on the bed before sliding on top of her, forcing her legs to part around him. He kissed her again, reaching down to make sure she was ready and finding her soaking. He teased her clit with his thumb and she squirmed at his touch, knowing he was deliberately lingering in giving her what she wanted.

He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth while she kissed him back greedily, his thumb still making its assault below. She bucked her hips at him and he grinned against her mouth before removing his hand and taking his place at her entrance. She looked up at him, breathless with anticipation, before he thrust forcefully inside of her. She moaned as he began moving his hips, slowly at first but she bucked under him, wanting more of him. He moved to sit on his knees, gripping her legs and wrapping them around his waist so her ass was off the bed. His hands moved to her hips as he picked up his pace and she groaned, closing her eyes as she felt him hit her deeper.

"Look at me," Opie ordered through gritted teeth and her eyes flew open, looking up into his. Her heart rate increased and her breathing shallowed as she felt herself at the edge. She gripped the sheets around her in her fists, wrapping her legs tighter around Opie, as a shudder ran through her body. Opie groaned as she came around him and he felt his release building as she cried out for him. He spilled himself into her before collapsing on top of her, kissing her deeply. She smiled up at him, her vision fuzzy, and he ran his fingers across her cheeks before rolling off of her, lying on his back to catch his breath.

Stacey reluctantly crawled off the bed and walked into the bathroom to get cleaned up. By the time she came out, Opie was buttoning up his jeans. She smiled at him as he turned, watching her walk up to him, his eyes grazing over every part of her body. She kissed him sweetly and he smiled down at her.

"Best quickie ever," she said grinning and he gathered her in his arms, his hands roaming over her still naked body. She sighed contentedly at his touch, her arms around his shoulders.

"I really need to get my own apartment," Stacey said, "Soon." He grinned.

"Yeah, you do," he said, kissing her softly, "But hold off. We can go look for places after I get back."

"Get back?" Stacey asked quickly, her arms dropping from his shoulders, "Get back from where?" Opie frowned as if trying to recall something.

"I thought I told you," he said and Stacey shook her head, "We're going on a run to Arizona late next week." Stacey paused, leaning away from Opie and out of his grasp, feeling the color drain from her face. She suddenly felt very exposed and looked around for her clothes, hurriedly pulling her underwear and t-shirt on before looking back at Opie, her eyes wide.

"A run?" she repeated. Opie nodded, frowning at her, confused at her reaction.

"Yeah, we're leaving Friday, we won't be gone long. Two, three nights tops," he reassured her. She shook her head, her eyes flicking around the room before returning to Opie. She pulled her shorts on, zipping them up while she contemplated whether or not to voice her concerns.

"What is it?" Opie asked worriedly, and Stacey sighed.

"It's just… I know what goes on when you guys go on runs," she said, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.

"Babe, we're gonna be fine. It's an easy one, and we won't be very far away. We're just going up to SAMTAZ," he said, trying to reassure her, but she still looked worried.

"It's not that," she said, her face flushing, "Worrying about you guys staying safe... that's a burden I've carried around my whole life. I'm used to it by now."

"You sound like Gemma," Opie said grinning, trying to lighten the mood. She frowned at him, reminding him even more of Gemma that he shuddered and forced the observation out of his memory.

"Than what it is?" he asked her. She sighed.

"It's just… I know about the run rules…" she finally mumbled, her voice trailing off. Opie's face broke out in relief as he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Is that what you're worried about? The girls?" he asked. She nodded, looking away from him. He pulled her face back to his and leaned down to kiss her.

"You don't have anything to worry about, Stace. Not only do I not want anyone but you, but Clay and Jax would have my balls if they saw me mess around on you, along with most of the other guys," Opie told her, "Run rules or not." Her eyes returned to his and she gave him a small smile.

"You don't want anyone but me?" she asked, her smile widening. He laughed softly and shook his head.

"No one, babe," he said softly, leaning down to kiss her again, his mane of hair falling around him, "Just you." Stacey nodded, still worried but slightly reassured.

"You ready to get back out there?" Opie asked and Stacey nodded reluctantly. She'd have preferred to stay with him in his room all night, but knew that wasn't really an option for them unless they wanted her brother breaking the lock off Opie's door.

They walked back into the clubhouse to see the party in full swing. Jax had been distracted from his earlier outburst by a couple of croweaters and was now sitting contentedly on the couch with them, and no one else paid them the slightest bit of attention as they walked out of the hallway.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Juice," Stacey said. Opie frowned, looking down at her.

"What?" she asked. He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her, but she persisted.

"I told you what was bothering me, you have to tell me what's bothering you," she said. He sighed, hesitating.

"I don't like that you're so close to him," he said, hating the jealously he felt toward Juice. Stacey raised her eyebrows, looking up at him.

"Jealous?" she teased. Opie's scowl deepened.

"Opes, Juice and I have been friends for a while, since when you were still locked up. It's nice having a friend in the club that isn't my brother or my boyfriend or my dad… or old enough to be my dad," she tried to explain.

"I know that. I'm not asking you to not be friends with him, I'm just telling you… I don't like it," he said, cringing slightly at the knowledge that he was behaving just like her ex – so jealous that he wouldn't let Stacey hang around the clubhouse. '_Yeah, and look how that turned out for him,'_ Opie reminded himself, looking down at Stacey. She pursed her lips, looking up at him.

"If you asked me to, I wouldn't be friends with him anymore," she told him seriously and he looked down at her, eyebrows raised.

"But I hope you won't," she continued quickly. He shook his head.

"I wouldn't do that. If you feel like you need a friend in the club…" he shrugged, his voice falling away.

"I need you to trust me like I trust you," she told him, "Besides, nothing would ever happen with Juice; he's terrified of you." Opie grinned, glancing over at Juice playing darts on the other side of the clubhouse.

"I do trust you," he said, kissing her once more before walking with her to say hi to Juice.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"I'm pretty sure I just failed that lab," Stacey groaned to a couple of her friends from class, Ben and Nicole, as they made their way to the parking lot after their last class of the day on Monday.

"I'm sure you did fine," Nicole said sympathetically with a light hearted shrug.

"I hope so," Stacey mumbled, silently ordering herself to make more time for studying, which had been so hard since all she ever wanted to do was spend time with Opie.

"Are we still on for happy hour on Friday?" Ben asked. Stacey nodded, trying to smile and not think about the fact that Opie would be in Arizona on Friday. Yes, she'd definitely need to get drunk then so she couldn't dwell on all the stupid sluts that would inevitably be running around trying to get a piece of her man. She trusted Opie… she didn't trust stupid sluts.

"Definitely. After the week I've had, I'll need it," Stacey responded. Nicole laughed understandingly.

"And it's only Monday," Nicole said.

"Don't remind me," Stacey said, rolling her eyes, "Well, I'm parked this direction. I'll see you guys in class on Wednesday." She waved good bye as she headed in the direction of her car, digging in her purse for her keys, excited to finally be able to get back to Charming and leave this dreadful day behind her.

It had started off bad and remained steadily bad the rest of the day – her alarm hadn't gone off so she'd been late waking up, Clay had been in a grouchy mood that morning because Stacey had been spending so many nights at the clubhouse with Opie, which put her in a bad mood before she'd even gotten to class. By the time she got to Davis she had missed her first class and had found out they'd had a quiz which she'd now receive no marks for, and to top it off she knew she'd failed her micro-bio lab. The only good thing was that she knew she'd be able to see Opie tonight.

She lifted her head from her purse after finally finding her keys and nearly fell over in surprise. Leaning against his bike, double parked behind her car, was Opie. He grinned when he saw her and she breathed a sigh of happiness, the horridness of her day already gone, as she ran into his arms.

"What are you doing here?" she asked after he kissed her hello.

"Surprising my old lady," he said, handing her a helmet, "Hop on." She laughed, taking the helmet from him and stowing her book bag in her car. She climbed on the back of his bike, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, resting her head against his back. She really didn't care where he was taking her; she could've stayed right there and been perfectly happy. He revved his bike up before turning his head to respond.

"I told you… it's a surprise," he said conspiratorially. She giggled as he sped out of the parking lot. They rode for less than 5 minutes when Opie pulled into the parking lot for the Davis Arboretum, an area of 100 acres of gardens near the University campus, and Opie stopped the bike, kicked the stand down and waited for Stacey to hop off before following her.

"The arboretum?" Stacey asked, smiling up at Opie. He nodded, opening the saddle bag and pulling out a bottle of wine and two glasses, handing Stacey the glasses. She took them, looking up at Opie in awe as he threw a blanket over his shoulder and his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

"Thought we could have a little time away from the clubhouse for once," he said and she wrapped her arm around his waist, grinning like an idiot.

"This is so… sweet," she said, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice as they made their way into the arboretum.

"What, you think I can't be sweet?" Opie asked. Stacey laughed, holding him tighter and resting her head against his shoulder.

"Who? My big, tough, biker boyfriend?" she asked, amused, "No, I know you can be very sweet." She stopped walking, causing him to stop as well, and he looked down at her. She smiled and leaned up, kissing him lightly.

"You don't know how happy I am you're here," she said, "You just turned a bad day into the best." He grinned as they continued walking, finding a spot to settle down. It was off the main walking path and next to a stream that ran through the arboretum. They found a tree to sit under and Opie laid the blanket on the ground before sprawling on top of it. Stacey leaned against him, her legs outstretched and her head against his heart, while he opened the wine bottle.

"So why was your day so bad?" he asked her, handing her a glass of wine. She sighed, launching into the story of everything going wrong, noticing the more she talked the less miserable she felt about her day.

"Well, there's another surprise for you back in Charming," Opie said, looking down at her and winking. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What? What is it?" she asked excitedly. Opie shook his head.

"I told you – a surprise," he said, his eyes full of amusement as she pouted, taking a sip of her wine. They sat there, Stacey leaning against him contentedly as they talked about their week and watched people walk and jog by on the path until they finally finished the bottle of wine and Opie looked at his watch.

"I should be getting you back," he said and Stacey sighed. It was so hard finding a second to be alone with Opie without the domineering and interfering presence of her step-dad that she would have preferred staying in the Arboretum with Opie for the rest of the night, but she knew he was right. They stood up, gathering their things, and made their way back to his bike.

"Are you going to take me back to my car?" Stacey asked, hooking the helmet back on after Opie had replaced the blanket and wine glasses in the saddle bag. He shook his head.

"I'll bring you back tomorrow to pick it up. I'm taking you straight to your surprise and I don't want you to have to follow me there," he said. She grinned, anxious and excited to see what he had in store for her.

They made the hour drive back to Charming and Stacey grinned as they drove past the familiar 'Welcome to Charming – Our name says it all' sign and through the streets of 'downtown'. She expected Opie to stay on Main Street for several more blocks before turning off to head to the clubhouse, but he turned early, taking them through a neighborhood full of quaint starter homes – Jax's neighborhood. Stacey frowned, looking around. Was her surprise at Jax's house? No, they missed the turn for his street, instead turning two blocks over onto a short tree-lined street. Opie pulled into the driveway of a house at the end of the street on the cul-de-sac. She saw several bikes parked out front, recognizing most of the club's bikes, as well her friend Kara's car. Stacey turned to Opie, frowning in confusion, before turning back to the house.

It was a one story house, small and made of red brick. It had several steps leading up to a large porch in the front and bay windows on either side of the front door. Opie grabbed Stacey's hand, leading her to the door.

"Where are we?" Stacey asked, "Whose house is this?" Opie just grinned, shaking his head before swinging the door open for her, allowing her to step through first.

"SURPRISE!" Stacey stepped over the threshold of the door to see her mother, Clay, and Jax standing in front of her, a large 'WELCOME HOME' banner stretched over their heads. Around the room she saw Juice grinning at her with his huge, goofy grin next to her friends Kara and Leslie who looked equally happy, Bobby, Tig, Piney, and Chibs scattered around the room, all smiling broadly at her as she tried to process what was happening.

The room she was standing in was large and nicely furnished with a tan, leather wrap around couch in the living room and at least a 42 inch LCD hanging on the wall. There was a fireplace on the far right corner of the wall, and to the right of the front door was a hallway that she assumed led to the bedrooms and the bathroom. To the left of the living room was the kitchen, with a small breakfast area to the back. She looked around at everyone in confusion.

"What's going on?" she asked. Gemma beamed at her daughter, ushering her further into the house.

"Well, we all thought it was about time you got out of our house," Gemma said.

"We love you, baby girl, but you were starting to cramp our style," Clay said jokingly, swinging his arm around Gemma's shoulder. Stacey scowled at them in mock anger. Cramping _their_ style? She and Opie had had to sneak around like a couple of teenagers this past month just to get 10 minutes alone together. And 10 minutes was never long enough…

"So I took that money I found at Brad's place and put a down payment on this house for you," Jax said, grinning at his sister. She gaped at him.

"What? That was like 100 thousand dollars, wasn't it?" she asked, shocked. Jax nodded.

"Yup, so that'll make your mortgage payments about $150 dollars a month over the next 30 years," he said grinning.

"You really should put more towards it," Bobby started and Stacey laughed, cutting him off.

"I will, Bobby, don't worry," she said, looking around her in awe. This was _hers_. This was _her _house. She couldn't believe it.

"I don't know what to say," she said, willing the tears of appreciation and amazement not to come. One did not _cry_ in front of the Sons of Anarchy if you could help it. She looked over at Opie who was smiling down at her so widely she feared his face would split in two.

"How long have you known about this?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"A couple of weeks," he said shrugging, and she scowled at him.

"All this time that we- I mean… and you knew I had my own place?" she asked.

"We just signed on it last week, and it was a scramble trying to get this place furnished for you," Gemma told her.

"Oh my God," she whispered, stunned, then launched herself on her brother, who stumbled back in surprise, laughing and hugging her, "Thank you thank you thank you!" She pulled back from her brother, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could spill, before turning to Clay and Gemma and giving them each a hug.

"Thank you so much," she said, overwhelmed.

"And the best part is, you'll be right around the corner from me, so I'll be able to keep an eye on you," Jax said, grinning maliciously, "You know, stop by every now and then just to say hi." Stacey shook her head, grinning back at her brother.

"If you don't want to walk in on something you don't want to see, you should probably call before you come over," Stacey said, wiping the smirk off Jax's face as he glared over her shoulder at Opie. Kara and Leslie ran up just then, giving Stacey a huge hug.

"Congratulations!" Kara said excitedly and Stacey smiled at them, "You should give us a tour!" Stacey laughed.

"I haven't even seen the place yet," Stacey reminded them.

"Oh right... well then we'll give you a tour. We wandered around before you got here," Leslie said and Stacey nodded, happy to be dragged away by her friends. They walked down the hall and Stacey saw two smaller bedrooms on the left that had been fully furnished, each with a full sized bed, night stands, and a small dresser. At the end of the hall was the guest bath, and to the right were double doors that opened into a huge master suite. There was an office area to the right and behind that an enormous walk in closet. Off of the bedroom area was a small private bathroom. It hadn't been updated and was clearly past its prime, but it was _hers_, and she couldn't have been happier.

Gemma had clearly spared no expense in furnishing the entire house for her. The office area of the bedroom had a large L-shaped desk that fit snugly in the corner and that now housed her computer and school supplies, and the area would be perfect for studying. She had bought Stacey a king sized bed, complete with a wooden black frame and a white, romantic bed set. Stacey eyed the bed, her thoughts already trailing towards the gutter as she thought about all the things she'd like to do to Opie on that bed… or have Opie do to her… with no interruptions. Complete privacy. Assuming, of course, that her brother wouldn't make good on his threat. '_Well it would serve him right if he did_.' She thought to herself, chuckling.

"Stacey?" Kara said, breaking into Stacey's naughty reverie. Stacey jerked her head to look over at Kara.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I'm thinking you guys are going to have to come down a lot more often, now that I've got two guest bedrooms for you," Stacey replied, grinning. Leslie walked up, hugging her friend.

"Anytime," she said, pulling away, "We really missed you, you know." Stacey nodded guiltily. She'd only seen them once since she'd been back from Ireland, and that had been almost three months ago now. First it was Brad keeping her away from them, and now it was preoccupation with school and Opie.

"I've missed you guys, too," Stacey admitted, "Let's go for a drink tonight at the Hairy Dog, just the three of us, we can catch up." Leslie raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"You sure you don't want to stay here tonight and christen every room in this house with your boyfriend?" she asked, grinning. Stacey laughed.

"Oh there will be plenty of time for that," she assured them, taking one last wistful glance back at the bed before following them back into the living room. A beer was immediately thrust into her hands by Tig, who ruffled his hand through her hair, causing her to scowl half-heartedly as usual. She took the beer and walked up to her mom.

"The furniture is gorgeous, mom, I don't even know how to thank you," she said. Gemma smiled.

"You can thank me by keeping your ass in Charming and letting me see you every now and then," she said, kissing Stacey quickly.

"It's a promise," Stacey said, wrapping her arms around her mom's waist. She smiled, glancing over where Opie stood talking to Jax. She had no intentions of ever leaving Charming again.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

After a couple of hours, the boys and Gemma all headed back to the clubhouse for their usual Monday night ruckus, leaving Stacey with Kara and Leslie. Stacey had told Opie they'd only be a couple of hours at the Hairy Dog and to meet her back at the house later, because contrary to what she told Kara and Leslie, she was ready to get the christening of her new house started right away. He didn't seem too happy about her going out without him, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. She knew he wasn't jealous, and he had stuff to deal with at the clubhouse while she was out so it's not like they would've been together anyway. But she let it go.

They drove over to the Hairy Dog in Kara's car and walked straight up to the bar. Stacey grinned at the bartender, Wendy, whom she'd been friendly with since her 21st birthday, when she got so drunk she threw up all over the place and Wendy had taken care of her in the bathroom. She was pretty, a few years old than her, with long wavy brown hair.

"Hey Ms. Teller, long time no see," Wendy chided her as Stacey took a seat at the bar. She grinned at her.

"I know, I know," Stacey said, ordering drinks for her, Leslie, and Kara.

"So how's it going?" Wendy asked as she got started on the drinks and set them on the bar.

"Great," Stacey said truthfully, "Seen my brother recently?" she asked, grinning slyly at Wendy.

"Oh, you know, here and there," Wendy said evasively, suddenly blushing full force. Stacey grinned.

"Well, I'll tell him you say hi," Stacey said as her, Kara and Leslie rose from their seats. Wendy smiled at Stacey, nodding, as they headed off to a booth in the corner.

"So is something going on with Jax and the bartender?" Kara asked curiously. Everyone with eyes knew Jax Teller was undeniably gorgeous, but everyone with a brain knew not to put their heart too close to him. Stacey shrugged.

"I hope so," she said, "I introduced them a couple of weeks ago when we came in here with Opie, just trying to get a change of scenery from the clubhouse. They seemed like they hit it off, and I haven't said that about my brother in over 7 years."

"Well good for them," Leslie said, trying to sound supportive, but not quite able to keep the disappointment out of her voice at the news that Jax Teller might soon be off the market.

"Yeah, I just hope my stubborn ass brother does something about it instead of just continuing to plow through that never ending line of croweaters like he has been," Stacey muttered, more to herself than her friends, taking a sip of her drink.

"Anyway, whatever. I'm not here to talk about my idiot brother. What's been going on with you guys? Tell me everything," Stacey said, grinning as she looked around at her friends. She made a silent promise to herself that after distancing herself from everyone with Brad, she wouldn't do the same thing in her relationship with Opie. Girlfriends were important, especially when the only woman you had to talk to all the time was Gemma Teller-Morrow.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Leslie and Kara dropped her off at her new house before heading back to Stockton. Stacey noticed Opie's bike in the driveway and grinned with excitement as she hurried up the porch steps and opened the door to her new house. Opie walked out of the kitchen hearing the door open with two glasses of champagne in his hands.

"Thought we could do some celebrating," he murmured, handing her a glass and leaning down to kiss her. The familiar heart thumping, stomach full of butterflies feeling returned and she grinned, loving that even after a month of rarely parting from each other, he could still have that effect on her. They clinked glasses and took a sip, their eyes not leaving each other's.

"How was your night out?" Opie asked, leading her to the living room. He sat in the corner of the wrap around couch, his glass held in one hand while she curled up next to him and he rested his other arm around her.

"It was fun," she said, "I've missed them." Opie nodded, kissing the top of her head.

"Well I missed you," he said and she looked up at him, grinning.

"Well Mr. Winston, we'll just have to do something about that, won't we?" she asked playfully, taking his glass from him and setting both of their glasses on the coffee table before swinging her leg across him, resting on his lap.

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Opie asked, grinning as she began to gently suck on his neck, unimpeded by his hair as he was wearing his skull cap.

"Oh you know… I was thinking round 1 would be in the living room," she said, continuing to kiss up his neck as she slowly ground her hips against him, "Then maybe round 2 would be in the dining area… then we could go to the hall…"

"Mmmhmm," Opie groaned, his hands wrapping around her and making their way down to her ass, unable to stop the visuals she was giving him from flooding his mind - Stacey bent over the dining room table, Stacey with her legs wrapped around him with her back pressed against the wall in the hall, Stacey riding him on the couch they were sitting on… He pulled her closer to him as her lips made their way to his ear lobe. She nipped at it, lightly pulling it with her teeth before running her tongue along it.

"And then we should find out which bed is the most comfortable," she said, "Typical market research, you know. I may need you all night." Opie grinned at her, grabbing the back of her head to pull her off his ear before crushing his lips against hers.

"I like a challenge," he said, pulling away briefly, and she smiled in anticipation.


	10. Chapter 10

Stacey stood from her chair in the Teller-Morrow office and walked to the window, peering through the blinds at the parking lot of TM. She'd agreed to come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays when she didn't have class to help out around the office, but the Thursday before the SAMTAZ run her mind was distracted and she knew she was being no help at all.

"You know what they're doing, don't you," Stacey said to Gemma. It was a statement - not a question. Gemma pursed her lips as she continued filing things away.

"Opie won't tell me. Just says they're going for a visit," Stacey continued, eyeing her mom, who finally turned around to look at her.

"If that's what he says, then that's what's happening," Gemma told her firmly. Stacey frowned, crossing her arms.

"I have just as much right to know what's going on as you do," she said, and Gemma sighed, slipping her glasses off her face and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"And baby, it's just not my place to tell you," Gemma said.

"What do you mean it's not your place?" Stacey asked, incredulous, "You're my mom." Of all the times for her to decide not to butt into everyone's business, she had sure picked the worst. Gemma nodded.

"Yeah, and I'll always be your mom. But as much as I want to be, I'm not in charge of you anymore; that's your old man's responsibility now," Gemma said, "And honestly, baby, I'm not sure I'm better off knowing everything they do." Stacey frowned, unconvinced. Gemma sighed again, walking to stand by Stacey at the window.

"You want to know what they're doing, you take it up with Opie. But you better think long and hard about what you really want to know. There are things you can't unhear, so you better make sure you're ready for that knowledge before you ask for it." Stacey nodded, staring out of the window, thinking. Did she really want to know? And how much did she want to know?

The only thing about SAMCRO she knew was that they made most of their money running guns and doing protection runs for the Chief of Police, Wayne Unser. She couldn't grow up in the household she did and not know that much. Who they sold the guns to, who their supplier was, how they transported the goods, where they stored them – all of that she was still in the dark about and didn't really care to know.

It was the times that her guys had been rushed into the clubhouse, bloody from bullet wounds or stabbings, that really worried her. She'd always been immediately removed from the clubhouse whenever that happened, and that had been just fine with her. Before, she liked not knowing. She could live in a fantasy world where the boys went hunting and things got out of hand, or they were terrible at target practice. She had always been a "blue pill" kind of girl growing up – ignorance is bliss and all that.

She hadn't thought that things would change by being with Opie; like she'd told him, she'd grown up constantly worrying about the men in her life. But now, she wanted to know exactly what she was worried about. She was ready to take that red pill, wherever the rabbit hole might take her. She had expected him to not want to tell her _everything_, but she thought he could at least give her _something_. But he had steadfastly refused every time over the past week that she'd asked him.

She sighed, flicking her finger through the blinds in the office as she watched Opie walk out of the clubhouse with Jax. At least she could give him a parting gift tonight to make sure he wouldn't even be tempted by the SAMTAZ sweetbutts. That was one worry she just didn't want to deal with.

With a last look at her mom, she walked out of the office and towards her man. Opie smiled at her as he walked up to meet her, kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Hello," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hi," he mouthed before kissing her again.

"What time are you guys leaving tomorrow?" she asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Sometime in the morning," he told her.

"Are you staying at my place tonight?" She asked. He nodded.

"Where else would I be?" he asked, grinning.

"Good. I'm done in the office so I'm gonna head home. Meet me there in, say, two hours?" she asked coyly. He cocked an eyebrow at her, smirking.

"You got it, babe," he said, kissing her again before she walked over to her car.

She raced home, excitement over her plans for Opie mounting. As soon as she walked through her door, she began the long and arduous primping process of making sure everything was washed, shaved, and tweezed. She wasn't usually a high maintenance kind of girl – jeans and t-shirt, or more often in this California weather, shorts and a tank top – were usually all she needed. But tonight she wanted to look perfect.

She ran mousse through her hair before blow drying it, making sure her natural waves were well placed and intact before working on her makeup. She didn't use much – growing up around the heavily made up and incredibly fake looking croweaters at the clubhouse had been enough motivation to learn how to keep her makeup light and natural.

She checked the time on her cell phone as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. She had half an hour before Opie would be there. She scurried to the closet in her bedroom, digging out a bag with the purchases she'd bought on her way home from class the day before. A flurry of nerves shot through her as she pulled out the black lace chemise and matching thong, her eyes widening at the prospect of actually wearing it. She'd never worn anything like this before, especially not _in front_ of anyone. She shook the thought away as she remembered what the sweetbutts would surely be wearing in Arizona – less than this, probably.

She undressed quickly, pulling on the chemise and thong and walked over to the full length mirror to make sure everything was in place. She grinned as she checked out her reflection, satisfied with the results. '_Opie Winston, you're not gonna know what hit you_' she smirked to herself. She wrapped a black, silk robe around her, tying it at her waist, before sliding on a pair of black stilettos. She dashed around the room, lighting several candles before she heard the front door open and Opie calling her name. She took a couple of quick deep breaths, trying to rid her anxiety.

"You can be sexy, Stacey," she repeated to herself before opening the door to her bedroom and walking down the hall to the living room. Opie was sitting on the couch kicking off his boots and turned when she entered the living room. She stopped at the entrance to the hall, leaning against the wall.

"Hey," she said in the sultriest voice she could manage. He raised his eyebrows at her, his eyes grazing over the robe and down to her heels.

"Hey yourself," he said, standing and walking over towards her. She grinned at him, turning to walk down the hall before pausing. She untied the sash at her waist and looked over her shoulder, letting the robe fall to the floor. She tried not to let her nerves show on her face as she waited for his reaction. A slow, surprised grin spread across his face as he took in the sight of her and he felt himself harden instantaneously.

"Wow," he breathed, and she smiled, her nerves vanishing.

"Coming?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him before continuing down the hall, allowing her hips to sway slightly.

"Not yet," he muttered, quickly following her into her bedroom. As soon as they were inside and the door closed behind them, she turned, shoving him against the door and leaning against him, pulling his head down to hers to kiss him deeply. He smiled into their kiss, surprised and turned on at the amount of control she was taking and his cock twitched beneath his jeans. She pulled out of the kiss, still pressed against him, running her fingers through his hair.

"Welcome home," she said, a coy smile dancing on her lips. He grinned as her hands moved slowly from his hair down his chest and rested on his belt buckle. He cocked an eyebrow at her as she leaned up to kiss him again, slowly undoing his belt and zipper before lowering to her knees, her eyes remaining focused on his. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, groaning as she released his cock and she felt him become rock hard at her first touch.

"What has gotten into you?" he breathed, leaning back against the door as she trailed her tongue along the length before taking him in her mouth.

"Oh Jesus," he muttered as she swirled her tongue along the head while she pumped his shaft with her hand. He placed one hand gently on the back of her head as she looked up at him, her brown eyes shining as they met his. She took him deeper into her mouth, feeling him hit the back of her throat and he groaned as she got into a rhythm. He ran his fingers through her hair as she removed her mouth, stroking his length as she took one ball and then the other into her mouth, sucking gently and swirling her tongue around them.

"Oh fuck, baby, I'm gonna cum," Opie growled. She grinned, taking him in her mouth again, sucking furiously. He groaned, his hand on the back of her head, and slammed her down on his cock as he emptied himself into her waiting mouth. She sucked him dry before standing back up, grinning triumphantly. He rested his hands on her waist, catching his breath, his eyes roaming down the sexy outfit she was wearing for him which was almost enough to make him hard again.

"That was fucking amazing," he murmured, pulling her closer to him, his hands roaming down to her bare ass while his lips trailed kisses along her jaw line and down to her collarbone.

"And you look fucking amazing," he said as he moved to her neck and a soft moan escaped from her lips, her senses heightened the more turned on she became. She finally pulled out of his arms before grabbing the front of his cut and tearing it off his shoulders. He ripped off his shirt before enveloping her in his arms again, kissing down her chest to where the chemise barely concealed her breasts. She arched her back, thrusting them towards him and his hands dipped down, slowly pulling the chemise over her head, leaving her standing in just her thong and heels. He grasped her ass, hoisting her up as she wrapped her legs around him and he guided them over to the bed, setting her down gently and crawling on top of her.

"My shoes," she said and he grinned, shaking his head.

"Nah, babe, the shoes stay on," he replied, running his hands down her body.

She ran her fingers through his hair, arching her back as he took a breast into his mouth, teasing her nipple with his tongue, alternating biting and sucking as his hand moved lower until he was rubbing her pussy through the thin fabric of her panties, feeling her arousal. He shoved it to the side and she gasped as he inserted his finger, feeling himself harden again at how wet she was. At this rate it wouldn't be long before he'd be ready to go again. He introduced a second finger, his thumb finding her clit as he watched her squirm at his touch. He sped up his rhythm and watched her face contort in ecstasy as she came over his hand. He crawled on top of her, hovering over her on his arms, as he watched her catch her breath.

"I hope you're not attached to these," Opie said, running his fingers through the band of her thong before ripping through the fabric and tossing it aside. He took his place at her entrance and, unable to wait any longer, thrust himself inside of her. She hitched her knee up as he rode her hard until she was close to the edge again. She clutched his shoulders, clawing his skin in desperation as he pounded into her until she cried out, exploding around him. He thrust hard into her once more as he reached his climax and collapsed on top of her.

"God that was incredible," Stacey breathed underneath him and he kissed her, long and deep, before breaking away, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Yeah it was," he agreed, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, "What got into you tonight?"

"What, can't a girl dress up nice for her man?" she asked, running her fingernails down his back.

"Anytime you want," he murmured, kissing her again.

"Especially when she's not gonna see him for so long," Stacey continued, pouting.

"Well I'll definitely be thinking about tonight the entire time I'm gone," he said, rolling off of her and pulling her into him. She grinned.

"Good… that was kind of the point," she admitted and he laughed.

"Plan well executed, babe," he murmured as she sighed contentedly, clutching him, and they fell asleep.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

What was supposed to be a 2 to 3 day run to Tucson had turned into a week and Stacey was doing her best to keep herself busy and distracted so she wouldn't worry too much. The first few days without Opie had been the worst. Drinks with Ben and Nicole after class on Friday had been a nice distraction, but going back to her empty house and sleeping there alone for the first time had been awful. She was already missing Opie more than she thought she could miss anyone, and he'd been gone less than 24 hours.

Stacey had thought her lifetime spent watching all the men she loved leave on runs would have prepared her for this one. But now that her love for Opie was returned by him, the thought of losing him was enough for Stacey to spend his first night away crying into his pillow. The rest of the weekend passed just as miserably and when Opie had called to say they'd be a few days longer than expected she wasn't sure she'd be able to last, especially when he wouldn't tell her why they were staying longer. Stacey knew that more days meant complications, and complications were never good.

Juice had stayed behind on this run and more than once Stacey had thought about calling him and asking him to sleep in the guest room just so she at least wouldn't be alone, but she knew Opie would probably kill Juice if he came over when he wasn't there, so she refrained. She also thought about having Leslie and Kara come over, but neither of them knew anything about the club and it would just be too hard to pretend like nothing was wrong. She tried going over to her mother's, but she just made her feel worse, basically telling her to suck it up. So she spent the weekend alone.

Once Monday came and went, things got easier. Stacey had school and work at the clubhouse to keep her busy, and Juice and Chibs – who had also stayed behind – did a lot to lift her spirits. They didn't seem to be worried about the guys and since they knew a lot more about what was going on than she did, it made her feel better.

Friday finally arrived and Stacey sat anxiously through every class that day watching the clock tick by excruciatingly slow. Opie and the rest of the boys were expected to be back sometime around 7 that night and Stacey couldn't remember ever being so excited about anything – not even when she was about to leave for Ireland.

The long drive back from Davis to Charming felt like it took days and she decided to head straight for the clubhouse instead of going home first and risking not being there when the boys finally pulled in. She smiled to herself as she imagined running and jumping into Opie's arms the second he stepped off his bike. Traffic was heavier than usual and she spent the commute glancing often at the clock on her dashboard, now worried she wouldn't make it to TM on time and it was with relief that she finally took her exit and passed the Welcome to Charming sign. She looked around her, trying to see if she could spot the boys on their bikes, but didn't see them and hoped she was still ahead of them.

As she drove through an intersection, she saw something through her peripheral vision and looked to the left to see a large SUV barreling for her. Her eyes widened as she watched it run towards her and she caught the very familiar eye of the driver, his expression so eerily blank he could've been doing his laundry. Her hand flew to her seatbelt, jerking it down to lock her in while simultaneously slamming her foot on the gas. The SUV rammed into the back door instead of the dead on impact of her door that it was aiming for, spinning her out of control. Glass flew all around her and she gripped the steering wheel tightly, struggling to regain control of her car as the SUV sped away from the scene. She was finally able to steer her car to the side of the road and came to a stop.

She sat in her seat in complete shock, her heart beating wildly. She immediately tried to wriggle her toes and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt them move. She looked over her body, checking for glass or anything else that might have hurt her. She pulled a few pieces of glass out of her cheek and shuddered as she realized she seemed to be relatively okay. Her neck felt whip-lashed and she was sure that a proper overview of her body would reveal several more scrapes and bruises, as well as imbedded glass, but it could have been so much worse.

"Miss! Miss! Are you okay?" Stacey heard voices running towards her and glanced out the window to see a couple of teenage boys running to her car. She noticed all of the glass was missing from her window and once again ran her hands along her face and arms, picking out a few small shards imbedded in her skin. She looked up blankly at the boys and nodded.

"Yeah," she croaked, finding it hard to speak, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"We saw the whole thing. It looked bad. Do you want us to call an ambulance?" one of the boys asked uncertainly. Stacey shook her head, looking around her bruised and broken car for her purse that lodged her phone, wincing as she forced her sore neck to move. The only person she wanted to call right now was Opie. Before she could dig through her purse, she heard the familiar roar of motorcycles turning down the street, on their way back to the clubhouse. Stacey lifted her head, her entire body filling with relief. She heard the bikes stop and several people scream her name as she reached for the door handle and found it smashed in. She'd have to climb across the car or through the window to get out, and the way the door was bent towards her, she wasn't sure she'd have enough room.

"She's okay!" Stacey heard the boy yell to the Sons running toward her. Unable to turn her neck very far, she peered into the rearview mirror to see Opie, Jax, Clay, Tig, and Bobby running towards her. Clay, Bobby and Tig stopped to talk to the boys, probably to see if they knew what had happened, while Opie continued past them towards the car. He leaned his head through the window and gripped the back of her head, kissing her urgently. He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

"God I was so scared when I saw your car," he finally said, "You're okay?" Stacey nodded.

"Yeah I…I think so," she said, her voice stronger now that Opie was here with her.

"You can move your legs?" he asked, looking down at the bashed in car and wondering if they could really be that lucky that she could walk away from this. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, but I can't get out," she said. Opie nodded taking a step back and looked at the car again before turning back to the rest of the guys.

"She says she's okay," he said, "But she can't get out through her door." Stacey stuck her head out of the window and smiled, seeing her brother and Clay standing there. She'd never been happier to see them.

"You're back," she said, her voice flooding with relief, and they both smiled back at her, though their smiles didn't hide the worry in their eyes. Clay looked over at Bobby and Tig.

"Go back to TM. Let Gemma know Stacey's been in a car accident but that it looks like she'll be okay and bring a tow truck back here," he ordered. Bobby and Tig both nodded before looking over at Stacey.

"Glad you're okay, kid," Bobby said and Stacey smiled back at him before they turned and ran back to their bikes. Jax ran around to the other side of the car, opening the passenger door and leaning through.

"Can you climb over?" he asked. Stacey nodded and wriggled out of the seat, wincing as it became apparent she had several bruises on her thighs, and climbed over the console and into the passenger seat before pulling herself out of the car and collapsing into her brother's arms. He held her tightly, kissing her lightly on the top of the head, before holding her back at arm's length, checking her over for glass and bruises.

"What happened?" he asked. She looked between Opie, Clay and Jax, wanting to prolong the moment before she told them and caused them even more worry. She briefly thought about lying, telling them it was a random hit-and-run accident, but knew that doing that would only end badly.

"Brad," she said quietly, looking down at the ground, "It was Brad. He ran into me." She watched the guys exchange glances, their expressions stoic and unreadable.

"Are you sure?" Opie asked.

"Yeah, I saw his face. It was definitely him and it definitely wasn't an accident," she replied.

"Okay, baby, you sure you don't want to go to a hospital?" Clay asked, glancing over her. Stacey shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied, "I just want to come back to the clubhouse." Opie reached out, taking her hand in his and gently pulled her closer to him. He cupped her cheek with his hand, brushing lightly over the scratches on her cheek with his thumb.

"You can ride back with me," he said and she nodded, folding into him and not wanting to let go.

"Have Chibs look her over when you get there," Clay told him, "I'll wait for Tig and Bobby. Jax, you ride behind them. I don't want them riding alone. That asshole comes back and tries to hit em on the bike they'll both be dead." Jax nodded as he, Opie, and Stacey headed towards their bikes.

"Let everyone know to be ready for church as soon as I get back," Clay told them and Jax and Opie nodded in acknowledgment. Opie handed Stacey his helmet and climbed on his bike, Stacey following suit. They rode towards TM, Jax following, all of them wondering the same thing – why the hell would Brad risk coming back?

* * *

**A/N Thanks so much for reading! I'm sorry this took a little longer to post - this chapter was one of the hardest for me to write for some reason, and it's taken me almost a month to get it finished, so I hope y'all liked it! **

**Again, if you've got a second to spare I'd really appreciate any feedback y'all have! **

**Thanks! **


	11. Chapter 11

Clay sat at the head of the redwood table, looking around at his brothers after just explaining what had happened to Stacey. He knew every single one of them would lay down their lives for his little girl, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why they'd need to. It was Bobby who finally spoke Clay's confusion.

"But why would he come back?" he asked. Clay looked over at Juice, who shrugged.

"All of my intel points to this guy being a petty con artist who moved from place to place scamming money off people," Juice said, "He doesn't seem like the type who'd make a move unless he could gain something from it."

"So why does he have it in for Stacey?" Jax asked, glancing over at Opie who was sitting silently in his seat, his nostrils flared and his fists clenched on the table, "What could he possibly gain by hurting her?"

"He doesn't want to hurt her," Opie growled, speaking up for the first time, "He wants to fucking kill her." Clay nodded sagely, turning to Juice.

"I need you to figure that out," Clay said to him, "You missed something. There's gotta be something there, some precedent for his actions. I've got a partial license plate and description of the car from some kids that witnessed the crash. Start with that and see if you can find where he is now, then I want you to go back farther and see what the fuck would make him hunt down my daughter." Juice nodded determinedly.

"Stacey is, from this point on, on lockdown," Clay continued firmly, "She is to have a patch on her at all times, no exceptions, and she'll stay at the clubhouse until we've got this all sorted out. This is number one priority right now." He looked around the table, his expression grave, as they moved on to discuss their next order of business.

SOASOASOASOA

"_Lockdown? _At the clubhouse?_" _Stacey asked incredulously, glancing around at Jax, Opie, and Clay who were surrounding her. She was used to the occasional lockdown at the clubhouse, but that was usually in situations that applied to everyone, not just her, "That's a little dramatic, don't you think?" They all shook their heads resolutely as Opie gripped her hands, looking into her eyes.

"This is non-negotiable, Stace," he said, "It's the only way to keep you safe."

"Yeah, but you're with me every night. Jax lives right around the corner. How is that not enough? I don't see why I have to stay _here_," she argued.

"Stacey!" Clay barked, causing her to jump as she looked at him, "This is not up for discussion. We're also gonna need your prepay. Juice is going to install some software on it so we can trace its location." She glared at him, pursing her lips and reminding Clay, not for the first time, of his wife, "And you better keep that phone on you _at all times._" Jax looked at Stacey, speaking quietly but firmly.

"You could have been killed, Stace. He's clearly not finished with you; he's going to come after you again. How do you think any of us would feel if we didn't do everything in our power to protect you and you got hurt?" he asked. Stacey sighed, looking at all of them.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll stay here and you can put your little tracker in the prepay. But I'm not giving up school. That's not an option for me," she said firmly.

"Then you'll have a patch take you to class and stay with you until you're finished," Clay told her. Stacey sighed resolutely; that much she had expected but she knew what a load having someone on her all day three days a week would be on the club.

"Even if I'd had a patch with me, he'd still have been able to ram my car. No one could have prevented that," she said, knowing as she said it that she was doing little to prove her case.

"Which is exactly why I'd like to keep you locked up in this clubhouse, and so help me you keep arguing about this and that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Clay bellowed at her. She opened her mouth to argue again but closed it quickly. She hated the situation she was in, but it was Brad she angry at; not her family. If she was honest with herself, she was terrified of Brad. Seeing the blank expression in his eyes as he rammed his SUV into the side of her car looking as if he was doing something as mundane as laundry, had shaken her up worse than the accident, and she knew she was lucky to have people like the Sons to watch out for her.

"Okay okay, fine," she conceded, sighing as she looked up at the ceiling, frustrated. She walked over to the bar to grab a beer, tossing it back as the events of the day washed over her again and she shuddered. She felt Opie's hand on her shoulder and grasped it, turning around as his arms enveloped her and she buried her face into his chest.

SOASOASOASOA

Stacey had been on lockdown for barely 72 hours and was already getting cabin fever. She sat at the desk in Opie's dorm room trying to concentrate on her notes for an exam she had the next week when there was a knock on the door. Not even bothering to glance up, she called out, "It's open!" and Juice stuck his head in the door.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" he asked. She looked over at him and nodded as he made his way in and sat on the edge of Opie's bed.

"What's up?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I'm trying to pick up information on Brad, but I keep hitting all these brick walls and I thought I remembered you saying he had a grandmother he used to visit in Denver," Juice started. Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, she died over the summer," she told him, "What about her?"

"Well, we know she's not his real grandmother. All his real family is in the Czech Republic, but I know for sure he did visit Denver so I'm hoping he was at least telling the truth about visiting someone out there. Did he ever mention what her name was?" he asked. Stacey nodded, recalling the invitation to her funeral that had lain on the counter for weeks. The only reason she'd even noticed it was because it was so rare for Brad to leave anything lying around the apartment.

"Yeah, her name was Carol Henderson," she said. Juice nodded, typing the name into his phone before looking back up at her.

"Did he ever tell you anything else about her? Or about his trips to Denver? Anything at all?" he asked her hopefully. Stacey racked her brain, trying to think of anything Brad had let slip.

"All I can think of is the nursing home she lived in was called… something about the wilderness. Like… something pond or creek," she told him, thinking hard, "Barton Creek, maybe? I'm not positive. He never told me anything else about her." Juice nodded, adding that to his notes in his phone and stood.

"Okay, well if you think of anything else, let me know," he said. Stacey nodded, watching him walk to the door.

"Hey Juice?" she called. He turned to look at her, "I'm really sorry," she said, her voice full of regret. Juice looked at her, confused.

"Sorry for what?" he asked. Stacey shrugged.

"Sorry for bringing Brad into all of our lives," she said quietly, "Sorry you have to run around chasing ghosts because of me." Juice furrowed his brow, staring at her.

"Don't you dare do that," he said, almost angrily, "You got nothing to be sorry for, okay? He's spent a lifetime perfecting faking who he is – you couldn't have known." Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I still feel like shit about the whole thing, though," she admitted.

"Well don't. We'll find him and then it'll all be dealt with and over," he assured her. She nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Thanks for everything, Juice," she said before he walked out of the room. She turned back to her notes and read them over a few more times before realizing that she wasn't retaining any of the information. She sighed and stood, slipping out of the room and into the hall. She heard another door close behind her and looked around to see Wendy digging through her purse as she slipped out of Jax's room.

"Hey Wendy," Stacey said, grinning knowingly at her. Wendy glanced up from her purse and smiled back at Stacey.

"Hey, Stace, I'm glad I ran into you," she said as they walked down the hall together, "Jax told me about the car accident, I'm so sorry that happened to you. He was so shaken up seeing your car like that." Stacey nodded, taking a seat at the bar and motioning for Wendy to join her.

"Yeah, shaken up enough that I've been put under house arrest," Stacey grumbled, grabbing a beer from the other side of the bar and handing it to Wendy before reaching back and grabbing another one.

"So things are coming along with Jax then?" Stacey asked. Wendy smiled.

"Yeah, I mean, he's not a label kind of guy, you know, but…" her voice trailed off and Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, I know. They're all like that, the idiots. Just make sure he knows where you stand, you know? Don't let him walk all over you. He's used to doing whatever and whoever he wants whenever he wants," Stacey advised. Wendy nodded, leaning over to Stacey and lowering her voice.

"I really like him," she said conspiratorially and Stacey grinned at her.

"Good," she said, really hoping this worked out for Jax. It'd been over 6 years since Tara split and he really needed to move on, "That's good. I'm really happy for you guys. Jax needs a good girl, one that hasn't been on every dick from here to Washington. That's hard to find around here." Wendy laughed, nodding.

SOASOASOASOA

The next day, Juice sat in his office in the corner of the main room of the clubhouse, pulling out the information Stacey had given him on Brad's "grandmother". He really didn't think it was going to lead anywhere, but he was past the point of frustration with how little info he'd been able to get on Brad. He'd looked up nursing homes in Denver and was relieved to find the Barton Creek Nursing Home listed in the yellow pages. He picked up the phone and dialed the number, hoping this was the right one and that it would get him something.

"Good morning, Barton Creek Nursing Home, how may I help you?" the lady said.

"Hi, my name is… Clark… uh… Parker… and I was trying to find my… aunt," he stuttered, thinking maybe he should have had his story worked out _before_ getting on the phone, "I was … adopted, and just learned that I still had family alive and I was told she was staying there. Her name is Carol Henderson." The lady on the other side paused for a moment.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Mrs. Henderson passed away this past July," the lady said sympathetically.

"What? Just that recently? Oh, I can't believe I'm only a couple of months late," Juice said, trying to sound upset, which was difficult as he was rejoicing at finding the right place, "Could you tell me, do you know if she had any visitors with her when she passed? I'd hate to know she died all alone."

"Actually, she did sir. She didn't have any family, well, that she knew of obviously, but one of our volunteers, Sam Stevenson, was with her," the lady told him.

"One of your volunteers? When does he usually come in? I'd love to be able to thank him for being there for my… aunt," Juice said.

"Oh, actually he doesn't volunteer here anymore. He started a couple of years ago, and that's when he met Mrs. Henderson. They really hit it off, she just adored him. He would still come to visit even after he'd stopped volunteering for us. I do think he'd grown quite attached to her. He was extremely upset when she passed, but we were all so grateful he was there for her," the lady said, her voice still full of sympathy.

"Uh huh, was he the only one with her when she passed?" Juice asked.

"Oh yes, he was very shaken up about it. Quite upset," the lady answered.

"And how exactly did she die?" Juice asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, I can't release that information over the telephone," the lady told him, and she really did sound sorry, "But she was 87, after all. She'd actually been doing so well for the last several months; we all thought she was going to hang on forever. But as they say, when it's your time, it's your time."

"Right," Juice said, his eyebrows creased, "Okay, well thank you for your time."

"No problem dear, you have a great day, and I'm sorry about your aunt," the lady said.

"Uh huh," Juice said as he hung up the phone, staring into space and thinking hard. Obviously Sam Stevenson was an alias of Brad's, but that wasn't going to get him anywhere. There had to be a million Sam Stevenson's in the United States. He was willing to bet that if he did find him, there'd be a hefty balance in his account courtesy of Carol Henderson's estate.

The thing that bothered Juice the most about that conversation was the fact that Carol Henderson seemed to be doing so well until Sam Stevenson came to visit. Juice doubted it was a coincidence that he just happened to be the only person in the room at the time of her death. He sighed, running a hand over his face, knowing that he wouldn't be sleeping again until he found everything he needed to know about Brad.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Opie gripped Stacey's hand as he drove her to class on Wednesday. Stacey's car had been totaled and Opie didn't feel comfortable driving Stacey on his bike in case Brad came back and tried to run them off the road, so they'd gotten a rental until the insurance money came in and she'd be able to get a new car. He figured this was all for the better, as the rental car wouldn't be recognizable.

Opie quickly parked outside of the vet school at UC Davis and they both climbed out of the car. Opie pulled his cut off, leaving it on the driver's seat, before throwing his arm around Stacey and walking her up to the building.

"Why're you leaving your cut in the car?" Stacey asked him. He opened the door for her, letting her walk in before him.

"Trying to blend in," he said grinning. Stacey snorted, looking up at her mountain man. Even with his long hair stuffed under a skull cap, the untamed beard he sported did little to help him blend in with the rest of the clean shaven men running around the campus.

"Good luck with that," Stacey said, smiling up at him. They got to her classroom door and Stacey gave his a quick kiss.

"I'll be right out here," Opie said. Stacey nodded.

"Try not to look too creepy, okay?" she said teasingly. He laughed.

"Yeah, I'll do my best," he said, kissing her again, "Love you." She smiled, never tiring of hearing him say that.

"Love you, too," she said before walking back into her class.

The day passed with no surprises, and while that put Stacey at ease, she noticed it was putting Opie even more on edge.

"It's like he's trying to get us into some kind of false sense of security," Opie mumbled to her on the drive back to Charming, his fingers laced in hers and absent-mindedly stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Or maybe he's given up," Stacey said hopefully. Opie looked over at her harshly.

"He's not giving up, Stacey. I don't even want you thinking like that. You need to have your guard up all the time," he told her. She shrugged, squeezing his hand lightly.

"I know, it's just hard not to feel safe when I'm with you," she told him. Opie frowned slightly, watching the road in front of him.

"I'm gonna get Chibs to give you boxing lessons," he told her. Stacey rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, cuz my fists will definitely stop a bullet," she said sarcastically, "But you can get me a new gun if it'll make you feel better."

"You're a Teller. You already have a gun," Opie pointed out.

"That's why I said a _new _gun," Stacey replied, grinning. Opie shook his head, smiling back at her.

"What kind of gun?" he asked.

"Desert Eagle," she said, teasing. He looked doubtfully at her.

"Yeah right," he said, "The recoil would give you a black eye." Stacey looked at him doubtfully.

"Fine, then a Beretta like Jax's," she said. He grinned, shaking his head.

"Okay, I'll get you a Beretta," he replied. She smiled at him.

"Ah, you're worried about me," she said.

"I'm always worried about you, babe," he said.

"At least you know what you're worried about," she told him. He sighed, signaling to make his exit towards Charming.

"I'm not getting into that with you again," he told her.

"Why don't you trust me to know what's going on?" Stacey asked, frustrated. Opie glanced over at her, bringing her hand he was clutching to his lips.

"I do trust you. I'm not worried about you keeping our secrets," he said.

"Then what is it?" she asked, "What are you worried about?" Opie sighed.

"I'm worried… that eventually you'll think it's too much and won't want to deal with it anymore," he admitted.

"Opie… even if we weren't together, I'd still have to deal with all that stuff with Jax and Clay, and the others are as close as family to me, too. I'll always have to deal with it. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not asking you to tell me every single thing. Just… give me something so I know how much I should be worried. Otherwise I just picture you guys in shootouts or Mexican stand-offs every time you leave," she told him. Opie smirked.

"I wish it was always that fun," he joked. Stacey frowned, pursing her lips as he glanced over at her, "I'm kidding. Look, I get what you're saying. I'll try and be as open as I feel comfortable with with you – best I can do." Stacey sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"That's very vague," she mumbled. He kissed her hand again as they pulled into the TM parking lot.

"This is new to me, okay?" he said, "I've never had someone like you in my life and it scares the shit out of me. Constantly."

"Me too," Stacey murmured.

"But I don't want to cause you to be worried unnecessarily all the time, so I'll do my best, okay?" he said. She nodded.

"Just… just don't lie to me," she said beseechingly. He looked over at her as he put the car in park.

"Promise," he said.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Another week went by and still no sign of Brad. Mostly due to Gemma's constant hovering, Juice had been diligently working on uncovering several of Brad's known aliases and digging deeper into them, hoping they'd lead him to other aliases that might give him more information.

The only times Stacey had left the clubhouse since the night of the car accident was to go to class. More often than not, Opie took her, but when he couldn't Jax and Juice were more than willing to give her a ride and keep watch. Stacey always found it hilarious as students would go out of their way to avoid them when Juice was her escort. She might know him as one of the nicest guys around, but she knew the mohawk and head tattoos had to look pretty intimidating. Campus security had been a slight nuisance with all three boys, constantly questioning what they were doing there and frequently stopping by the corridors Stacey's classes were on to keep an eye on them, but for the most part they were able to stand guard outside with no problems.

Stacey was trying to be a good sport about the whole thing, knowing that everything was for her own protection, but having very little time to herself and being cooped up in a clubhouse that constantly smelled like biker and old meatloaf (she hoped) was starting to get old. She was beginning to wonder what would happen if Brad never showed his face again and they weren't able to get him – would they keep her on lockdown for the rest of her life? But she knew they had other things to worry about and didn't want to become yet another problem for them to deal with, so she kept her aggravations mostly to herself.

Stacey walked out of her last class of the day the following Wednesday, smiling to see Opie leaning against the wall looking bored as hell. She walked up to him and he pushed himself off the wall, throwing an arm around her shoulder and kissing her lightly.

"You should get a prize for everything you do for me," she said as they walked out of the building and towards the parking lot. Opie smirked, looking down at her.

"Oh yeah? Like a trophy?" he asked. She shook her head, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"I was thinking something a little more… fun," she said.

"Mmmm," he said as he unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for her, "Can't wait to see what you have in mind." She climbed in the car, grinning up at Opie. He shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. He pulled out of the parking lot and reached over for Stacey's hand, gripping it in his. Before they got very far from the campus, his prepay buzzed and he pulled his hand from hers, reaching into the console to grab the phone.

"It's Juice," he mumbled before answering it. He listened for several moments, his face becoming stonier and stonier as he looked over at Stacey, anger flashing in his eyes. She shrunk back from his gaze, bewildered, as he hung up the phone and immediately swerved over to the side of the road and stopped the car. He sat there for several long moments while Stacey sat next to him, afraid to say anything. He finally jerked open the car door and lit a cigarette, pacing in front of the car. Stacey tentatively opened her door and walked towards him.

"What did Juice say?" she asked, confused at his abrupt change in mood. He glared at her, not responding until he took a last drag of his cigarette and flicked it to the ground.

"Were you ever going to tell any of us you're fucking _married_?" he growled at her. She froze, allowing his words to sink in.

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked. Opie scoffed in derision.

"Juice found a certificate of marriage between you and Brad," he told her, his voice dripping with accusation, "From Las Vegas. You went to FUCKING _VEGAS_ with that asshole?" His voice was rising. Stacey gaped at him, shaking her head as if that would make the news untrue.

"How could you go to Vegas with him without telling anyone?" Opie continued, "How could you be that stupid?"

"No, Opie… I… But we didn't get married!" she said, "We were only there for a night… that's when I got sick and we came back… early." Her voice trailed off as the mysterious illness she had accrued in Vegas suddenly made sense to her.

"What kind of sick? Nauseous? Blackouts? Dizziness?" he asked, his voice full of contempt. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the ground, nodding slowly. He threw his head back and sighed before looking back at her.

"I thought you were smarter than that," he said, making her feel even smaller than she already did.

"I just thought… I drank too much," she mumbled.

"Yeah, well while you were busy drinking too much he probably slipped GHB in your drink and ran you off to a drive through chapel!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled, deciding to fuel her anger instead of her embarrassment, "What do you want me to say? I trusted him. I already feel like an idiot enough for that, but I wasn't exactly expecting him to spike my drink with a date rape drug!" She felt her voice choke up as the impact of what Brad had done to her washed over her.

"Why would he have done that to me?" she asked meekly, "Why take me to Vegas just to drug me and… marry me?" Opie shook his head, his anger fading as he strode over to her and pulled her into him.

"I don't know, baby," he mumbled, "Juice is working on that now."

Opie and Stacey made most of the drive back to Charming in silence, each of them buried in their own thoughts. Stacey reached for Opie's hand but he pulled it away from her, resting it on the steering wheel. She frowned, looking over at him.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked hesitantly. He sighed before taking his eyes off the road and glanced over at her. He reached over to take her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'm not mad at you," he said, "I'm just… frustrated." Stacey nodded, leaning back in her seat.

"What am I gonna do, Opes?" she asked quietly, looking down at their hands intertwined.

"About what?" he asked distractedly.

"About being fucking married?" Stacey replied, "Can I get it annulled or something?"

"Juice'll work on it for you. I'm more worried about what his reasons for doing it were," Opie said. Stacey nodded.

"Any ideas?" she asked. He sighed heavily and shook his head.

"None good," he replied.

* * *

**A/N - I hope you liked this chapter! Please review, let me know what you thought! Your reviews are what keep me motivated! **

**Also, I promise you won't have to wait long to find out what exactly Brad is up to, just until the next chapter is posted! And there'll be a lot of action next chapter as well. I should be able to have it up sometime later this week, I've just got to do final revisions on it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - Thanks so much again to all my reviewers, subscribers, and readers! I hope you like this chapter - let me know what you think! **

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Stacey lay awake that night curled into Opie, unable to sleep. She kept replaying the information Opie had given her in her head. She was married. Brad had drugged her and married her. Creepy and weird, yes, but also confusing. She went through every scenario she could think of that would make him want to do that, and she couldn't figure any of it out. The best she could come up with was that it was his last chance to make sure she stayed with him, but if that was his goal, surely he would have _told_ her about the marriage. She sighed and rolled away from Opie, quietly tip-toeing out of the room to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

She walked into the main room of the clubhouse to see Juice sitting at his desk, busily plugging away into his computer, several empty coffee cups scattered around his desk and on the floor.

"Juice?" she said in surprise as she walked over to him. He jumped, startled, before turning around to look at her. His face looked worn and weary and he had dark circles under his eyes. He was extremely jittery, and Stacey assumed that was due to the numerous empty coffee cups.

"Oh, hey Stace," he said, turning back to the computer, leaning closer to the monitor as he pounded on the keyboard.

"Juice, it's 4 in the morning. What are you doing up?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Just looking up stuff for Clay," he responded without looking away from the monitor.

"You're looking up stuff on Brad, aren't you?" Stacey asked. Juice shrugged.

"Find any hints on why he married me yet?" she asked. Juice shook his head.

"Nope, but I'll find it," he said. Stacey crossed her arms.

"You need to sleep," she told him. He shook his head furiously as he continued running searches on his computer. He grabbed a cup from his desk and turned it upside down, seeing it was empty. He held it out to Stacey.

"Coffee. I need coffee," he said. Stacey gave him a concerned look but took the cup into the kitchen and filled it up for him from a pot he had running. She brought it back and handed it to him, looking over his shoulder at the monitor, but none of the information on the screen meant anything to her.

"Promise me you'll get some sleep?" she asked. Juice tore his gaze away from the computer to look at her, worry filling his face.

"Stacey, this guy married you for a reason. I'm not sleeping until I figure out what it is," he told her.

"Juice, you need to sleep. Then when you wake up you can work on getting that marriage annulled," she told him grinning, trying to keep the unease she felt out of her expression. He smiled back at her, nodding.

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," he said. She bent over, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Juice," she said.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

By Friday morning, Stacey still hadn't seen Juice move from his office in the corner of the clubhouse. If he had slept, it had been hunched over his desk and it definitely hadn't been for very long. She was starting to get concerned about him, but knew nothing she said would make him quit. She walked into the clubhouse from the dorms with Opie, digging through her tote bag to make sure she had everything ready for class. Tig was standing by Juice, simultaneously eating a twinkie and poking Juice in the face. Juice didn't make any sign that he even knew Tig was standing there. He was completely wired in to his computer.

"Clay!" Tig called, "I think you broke the retard!" Clay looked over at them from where he stood at the bar and waved his arm.

"Let 'im work," Clay said firmly. Tig shrugged and moved away from Juice, collapsing on one of the couches while Stacey walked over to Clay, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"See you later," she said. He smiled at her, pulling her in for a hug.

"See you later," he said softly. He looked over at Opie, glaring at him.

"You watch out for her today," he told her. Opie nodded, his eyes following Stacey as she walked back over to him and he rested his arm around her shoulder.

"I will," he promised Clay as they walked out to Stacey's rental car. Clay looked back over at Juice and walked over to him.

"How's it coming?" Clay asked. Juice looked up at him with hollowed eyes.

"I think I'm close," he told him, "I found a trail that led me to a few other aliases of his and several of those were also married to different women here in the states. I'm running checks on the women now to see if I can find out what happened to them."

"Why not run checks on the aliases?" Clay asked.

"Brad's been real good about hiding his own tracks, but he left a weak spot with Stacey. That's how I found out about their marriage in the first place," Juice said, holding out Stacey's background check that Juice had run as a last ditch effort, "I'm hoping he was as messy with the others." Clay nodded, looking across the desk at the papers scattered around and then back at Juice's monitor.

"Nothing on them so far?" Clay asked. Juice shrugged.

"I know they didn't get divorced. I'm hoping it just turns out that he's some polygamous freak who likes having a bunch of wives," he replied, but he looked doubtful, "their information should pull up within the hour. I'll let you know what I find."

Clay nodded and walked back to the bar, taking Stacey's background with him. He filled a glass with scotch and tossed it back as he thought what their next move would be concerning Brad. His eyes raked over the pages of Stacey's background, which included everything from what she was studying at school to what her finances looked like. He flipped to the page concerning her Vegas wedding, his eyes skimming the brief information on Brad that accompanied it. He narrowed his eyes as he reached the bottom of the page before immediately flicking them back up towards Juice.

"Juice!" he bellowed, walking over to him. He slammed the background down on the desk, pointing to the bottom of the page. Juice's eyes raked over the page before getting to the information on Stacey's life insurance policy that had been taken out after the wedding by her husband, his eyes widening as he looked back up at Clay.

"I… I must have missed that," Juice mumbled, knowing his sleep deprivation was getting to him.

"You think?" Clay asked incredulously. Juice leaned back in his chair, running his hand over his Mohawk.

"When the information comes up on the others, I'll be able to see if they had similar policies taken out on them," Juice told him helplessly. Clay nodded.

"You let me know as soon as you find anything," he said and Juice nodded.

SOASOASOAOSASOA

Opie leaned against the wall outside of Stacey's classroom door as he did every day he took her to class. His eyes raked up and down the mostly empty corridor, looking for anything or anyone that stood out to him. He rolled his eyes as he saw a couple of members of the fine force of campus security walk through the front doors and down the corridor towards him. They came around every once in a while to bust his chops, and Opie knew they were harmless but they were really starting to get on his nerves.

"Sir, we're going to need you to leave," one of the security guards told him as they stood in front of him, trying to make as imposing a front as possible – a difficult task as Opie towered over them by at least half a foot. Opie crossed his arms staring down at them.

"Not happening," he said.

"We got a call from a girl who says you're some crazy stalker who's been following her around for weeks," the other guard said haughtily, "We're gonna need you to come with us." Opie frowned as he looked between the guards. Something wasn't right. What reason would someone have to make a call like that except to get him out of the way?

"Maybe instead of listening to a fucking anonymous phone call you could actually use your brain. I've told you before I'm just waiting for my old lady. Feel free to go inside and talk to her," he said, nodding towards the door, "Her name's Stacey Teller." The guards shook their head, crossing their arms, clearly determined to believe the stalker story.

"We can't interrupt a class just because you say so," he said, "Now move it along, buddy." Opie rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to have to fight these idiots. Fighting them would mean never being able to come on campus again. What he needed was to go in and get Stacey and get her out of there.

"I'll go in and grab my girl and we'll go. I'm her ride home, I'm not going unless she goes with me," Opie said. The guards shook their heads again and Opie glared at them before turning to the door. He had his hand on the doorknob before he felt the volts of electricity shoot through his body and he tumbled to the floor before he blacked out.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey tapped her pencil on her notebook, watching the clock with her head resting on her other hand. 5 more minutes. 2 more minutes. 1 more minute.

"Okay everyone, that's all for today. Don't forget midterms are in two weeks. Study guides are posted online," the professor announced as everyone jumped up from their seats and headed for the door. Stacey threw her tote bag over her shoulder and followed the rest of the students out, looking around the corridor for Opie. She knew immediately he wasn't there as he was so hard to miss, which only meant one thing – something was wrong. There was no way he'd just walk away from that hallway unless something had happened.

She dug through her tote bag as she watched the corridor slowly empty with people hurrying to get home after the last class of the day. She waited for several more minutes before she pulled her prepay out and checked the time. She opened her phone and called Opie's number, frowning when he didn't pick up. They'd never discussed what to do if he wasn't there so she took one last look around the hallway before walking outside to see if he was by the car. She shoved her phone in the back pocket of her jeans as she hurried to the double doors at the front of the building. She walked out several steps, scanning the parking lot from the front of the building. It was already over half empty and she didn't see anyone around, much less Opie. She cursed herself for registering for the last class of the day, but it had been the only way she could make sure she only had to take classes three days a week.

She felt an eeriness wash over her and turned to head back into the building to call Clay and see if he'd heard from Opie. Something was wrong; she could feel it. She had almost reached the doors when she felt something sharp hit the back of her head and everything went black.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Juice sat at his computer nervously, waiting for it to finish running the checks on the four women he had found that had once been married to an alias of Brad's. Of course, Juice reminded himself, 'Brad' is an alias as well. He feared what he would find on the checks, but he knew instinctively what it would be because it all made sense to him now. Why Brad tricked Stacey into marrying him, why he came back, why he tried to kill her, where all his money was coming from. He knew what the answers were and it wasn't good.

"Clay!" Juice called as his computer beeped and he quickly printed out all of the information that had just come up. Clay walked over as Juice grabbed the sheets off the printer, the color draining from his face. He looked up at Clay.

"They all had similar policies out," Juice told him, turning back to the information in his hand, "Which were all awarded to their husband." Clay frowned.

"They were all award- they're all dead?" he asked. Juice nodded slowly, his eyes raking through the pages of information.

"Yeah, one drowned, one died of pneumonia, one died in a car accident, and another was murdered. Looks like there was an arrest made in that case and a man named David Rodriguez is serving a life sentence," Juice said as Clay turned and whipped out his prepay, dialing Opie's number.

"Shit," Clay muttered, "He's not picking up." He frowned, dialing Stacey's cell that also went to voicemail, as did her prepay.

"Shit!" he repeated.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey groaned as she slowly woke up, curled up in the fetal position. Her eyes fluttered open and for a split second she thought she still had them closed because blackness still surrounded her and she couldn't see anything. The back of her head was pounding and she tried to move but realized she was in too small a space to even stretch her legs. Panic set in and she tried to keep it down, knowing she needed to keep her wits about her. She took several deep breaths to try and calm herself and keep her breathing even.

She tried to figure out where she was. Her first instinct was a box but after several moments she realized she was moving. A trunk. She was in the trunk of a car. She reached her hand out, wincing from the pain in her head, to feel for the trunk release, praying whatever car she was in had one. She felt all along the trunk latch and swore when nothing was there. She lay there for several moments, taking deep breaths to keep her panic at bay. She knew who had her. What she didn't know was what he would do to her when they reached their destination. She felt hopefully around for her bag. If he was stupid enough to throw that in the trunk with her, she could get her phone out of it. And, she remembered with a jolt, the old Glock Clay had given her for her 16th birthday that she was now in the habit of carrying around everywhere. But the trunk was empty. She hadn't really expected to find it.

Her panic began to clear allowing her mind to form coherent thoughts and she finally remembered a trick she'd learned in a self-defense class she'd taken in college – get-out-of-a-trunk 101. She moved her body as much as she could in the confined space until she had room to try and kick the tail lights out. She kicked as hard as she could several times, but the tail light barely budged. She sighed, knowing those self-defense classes were a crock of shit and suddenly wishing she'd taken Opie up on his offer to get Chibs to give her boxing lessons.

Her body jerked suddenly in surprise as she felt something vibrating and relief rushed over her as she realized her prepay was still in her pocket, where she'd stuffed it after trying to call Opie. She reached back and whipped it out, smiling to see Opie's name flashing on the caller ID. She quickly flipped the phone up and put it to her ear.

"Opie?" she said quietly, not wanting to let Brad, who she was sure was driving the car, hear her speaking.

"Oh Stacey thank God," she heard him say on the other end of the line, "Where are you?" Tears brimmed Stacey's eyes at the sound of his voice and she begged them not to fall.

"I don't know, Opie. I'm in a trunk. I don't know where we are," she said.

"Fuck!" Opie yelled in frustration, causing the floodgates to open and tears poured down Stacey's cheeks at the hopelessness of her situation. It didn't matter that she could talk to Opie; she had no idea where she was or where Brad was taking her.

"Opie," she said, her voice choking up.

"No, Stacey, don't worry, okay, baby? We're gonna get you out of there. Don't worry," Opie said quickly, trying to reassure her.

"Where were you?" she asked.

"Fucking campus security tasered me," he said, the disbelief still etched in his voice, "I just now got out of there. Apparently someone called and said I was stalking them."

"Brad?" Stacey asked.

"Nah, it was a girl. But I'm sure he had something to do with it," Opie said, "Now tell me what happened. How long have you been in the trunk?"

"I don't know. I was blitzed and I just woke up a few minutes ago. At least, I think it was a few minutes ago," Stacey said.

"Where were you when it happened?" Opie asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

"Right outside the building, about half an hour after class. I looked for you and I didn't know what to do when I couldn't find you, so I went outside to check if you had gone to the car and that's when it happened," Stacey explained.

"Did anyone see you?" Opie asked.

"No, there wasn't anybody around," she said.

"Okay, I'm gonna call Juice and have him run a trace on your prepay. We should be able to find you that way. Just make sure you keep the phone on you. Stick it in your bra so he doesn't see it if he stops the car before we can get there," Opie told her. Stacey remained silent as she felt the car slowing down before coming to a stop.

"Well we're either at a stop light or that time is about to come," Stacey hissed into the phone, "Hurry, please!"

"Okay baby, I'm hanging up now, hang in there, okay?" he pleaded.

"I love you," Stacey whispered.

"I love you, too," he said earnestly and with that Stacey flipped the phone shut and stuffed it down her bra, praying the tracking software in the phone would work and thanking God Clay had had the foresight to get it installed.

SOASOASOASOASOA

"Where the hell have you been?" Clay barked as he answered Opie's call.

"Long story," Opie replied, "Brad's got Stacey. I'll explain everything later but right now I need Juice to run a trace on Stacey's phone." Clay yelled into the phone, turning around and punching the wall, wincing and shaking his hand. He looked over at Juice and barked the order at him.

"Also," Opie continued reluctantly, "I don't know if this means anything, but he's got my cut." Clay stood still, brows furrowed.

"He _what_?" he growled into the phone.

"I left it in the rental and by the time I got back to the car it'd been broken into and my cut was gone," Opie explained.

"What the fuck happened, Opie? You were supposed to watch out for her!" Clay screamed into the phone, losing the last bit of control he had. Opie paused, not wanting to admit his blunder to Clay, but he explained what happened.

"Fuck," Clay responded, pacing the floor. He looked over at Juice, "You have that trace yet?" he asked. Juice frowned, looking over at Clay.

"I had it, but then I lost it," he said.

"You had it and then you lost it?" Clay repeated incredulously. Juice nodded.

"Yeah, but I have the last place there was a signal," he said. Clay swore when Juice told him where, relaying the information to Opie before slamming the phone shut. He ran outside to the bays where Jax and Tig were working, Juice following closely behind.

"Let's go, now!" Clay yelled.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey lay quiet in the trunk of the car, listening to the sound of gravel crunching under boots as Brad walked to the car. She blinked several times as he opened the trunk and sunlight poured in. He smiled down at her as she looked up at him.

"Hello, lover," he said, "Long time no see." Stacey glared at him, trying hard to mask the fear she felt.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No time for explanations now. We're on a time crunch," he responded, leaning towards her. She struggled away from him but he punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her and debilitating her for the precious seconds it took for him to get the upper hand. He flipped her over on her stomach, slapping hand cuffs around her wrists behind her back. She felt the phone stuffed in her bra slip out slightly and prayed it wouldn't fall out. She tried to kick her legs but he held them down, tying them together with rope.

She then did the only thing she had left – she screamed as loud as she could. He flipped her back over and punched her in the face, silencing her. Her head fell back and she struggled to keep her consciousness. He lifted her out of the trunk, flinging her over his shoulder and the phone slipped out of her shirt and fell to the ground. He looked down, letting out an angry roar, before slamming his foot down on the phone.

"You stupid bitch!" he yelled.

"Should've checked my pockets before you threw me in the trunk," Stacey said, groaning at the pounding in her head but trying to keep her voice steady and calm. She looked around her. He had parked on a dirt road, trees surrounding them. The only source of civilization Stacey could see were two nondescript, run down wooden houses standing side by side. He headed towards the one on the right and walked up a couple of stairs to a large wrap around porch. A large sign over the door read 'BLUEBIRD SUPPLY WAREHOUSE'. The name sounded familiar to Stacey, and she was sure this building had a connection to SAMCRO.

"Who did you call?" Brad asked, his voice tense as he dropped her on the ground in front of the door. She fell with a thump and felt a shooting pain rush to her ankle. She hissed at the pain, struggling to pull her legs toward her, but it was impossible in the position he had her tied in.

"Who did you call?" Brad barked at her and she glared up at him, "Your boyfriend?" She remained silent as he scoffed at her, shaking his head, before turning back to the wooden front door that he promptly kicked it in.

"Yeah, I've been watching you. Been watching them, too," he said, heaving her up and throwing her back over his shoulder, "That's how I found this place. Cozy, isn't it?" Stacey lifted her head to look around, seeing the room filled with wooden boxes and large bags, many of which had the word 'Bluebird' stamped across them.

He threw her down near a pole, unlocking the cuff on one of her hands, holding it firmly as he re-cuffed it around the pole. Fear enveloped her as she felt the walls close in on her. Whatever he was planning to do, she had no way to stop him except to try and buy some time, hoping Juice had run the trace before Brad stomped the life out of the phone.

"I don't usually go to all this trouble, you know," he said, "You've been a real pain in my ass." Stacey searched for something to say, some way to keep him talking.

"Juice found the marriage certificate," she blurted. He frowned, nodding.

"Yeah, I've never had to trick anyone into marriage before. Like I said, you've been a pain in the ass. Knew you were hung up on that white trash motorcycle reject, knew you wouldn't marry me as fast as I needed you too. But I got it done and as soon as I finish up here, I can go on and collect the money from your life insurance and be on my way," he said, looking around the small room.

"They won't pay out in a murder," she said quickly, having no idea if she was right or not, "Not until an investigation is complete. They'll look into you. They'll know you did it." He chuckled shaking his head at her as he found what he was looking for – a large can of gasoline.

"Don't you worry about me, sweetheart," he said, "Forensics will find all they need to figure out it was your oaf of a boyfriend. He's already been to jail for attempted arson – they won't even bat an eye. Even got his stupid vest he left in your car. Figure I'll leave a few pieces of it around. Everything will point right back to him." Her eyes widened as she watched him scatter the gasoline around.

"You've made this personal, you know, Stacey," he said, continuing to pour the gasoline around the perimeter of the room, "Normally I'd have just put a bullet in your head and been done with it. But you've been such a fucking aggravation. This way is more fun. For me, of course." Stacey's heart raced as her head pounded. She tried to keep her thoughts straight; to think of any way out of here. She tugged on the cuffs behind her back, seeing if there was any way to slip her hands out, but they were cuffed too tight.

"Did you ever really love me?" she asked, desperately trying to hold him off, "Or was it all just an act?" He looked back at her.

"I don't love anybody, Stacey," he told her in a tone of voice that would have been more appropriate if they were discussing the weather, "Doctors say I'm incapable."

"That's right. You killed your whole family, didn't you?" she asked. His eyes filled with rage as he looked at her, but he didn't respond. It seemed he was done with the question and answer period of this show.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie sped as fast as he could to the Bluebird warehouse, a place he knew well as it was where the Sons had stored their gun shipments for as long as he could remember. Clay and John Teller had set up the dummy corps shortly after Chibs had joined, bringing with him the True IRA connection to guns. He begged the rental he was in to go faster, cursing the 4-cylinder engine.

He finally made the exit for Charming but headed away from the town toward Bluebird, praying he wasn't too late. He feared what he would find when he got there. As he made the turn down the dirt road that would lead him to the warehouse, the roar of several motorcycles caught his ear and he saw Clay, Jax, Tig, and Juice riding several hundred yards ahead of him.

His heart dropped into his stomach as he got close enough to Bluebird to see the flames dancing wildly around the building. He saw Brad run out and look over at them before jumping in his car and speeding off. Clay yelled at Tig and Juice, who sped off after Brad while Clay and Jax parked their bikes and threw themselves off of it, running towards the door. Opie quickly parked the car and followed them, Stacey's screams filling his ears as he did so.

"Stacey!" he called, running towards the wide open door, smoke billowing out of it. He choked back a lungful of smoke and his eyes started tearing up as he struggled to keep them open. He spotted Stacey on the floor by a pole on the other side of the room, the fire starting to spread wildly around her, threatening to engulf her.

"Opie! Opie I'm handcuffed!" he heard her call back, "Hurry! Please!" He looked over at Clay and Jax who were running around the burning building, looking for a way in.

"I'm gonna get you out!" Opie yelled desperately back to Stacey. He ran back to his car and grabbed his leather jacket off the passenger seat, throwing it on. He pulled the cuff up as high as he could around his face and stuffed his hands in the pocket as he ran back to the warehouse, hoping the jacket would give him some protection from the fire.

"I'm goin' in!" he called out to Clay and Jax, "Call an ambulance!" They both looked up at him helplessly and nodded. He took a deep breath and ran through the smoke, the heat on the other side hitting him and threatening to overcome him. The fire spread behind him, closing the only exit they had and trapping him. He glanced up, fearful the roof would give at any second. He squinted around, trying to see a way through the fire to Stacey, but there wasn't one.

Bracing himself, he sprinted through the flames to the other side. He felt the flames latch onto his jeans and fell on the ground in front of Stacey, who was cowering away from the fire, and quickly stamped them out. She looked at him, still struggling against her handcuffs as he bent down, pulling a knife out of a sheath on his belt and sliced through the ropes binding her feet. He helped her up, her hands still locked behind her back. She winced as she stood on her hurt ankle.

"You trust me?" he asked.

"More than anyone," she responded.

"Good. Widen your wrists as far as you can," he instructed, "I'm gonna have to shoot the damn thing off." She sucked in her breath, sweat pouring down her face from the fire. Opie glanced up the wooden pole, terrified the bullet would cause the whole thing to come crashing down. But his only other option was to leave Stacey here to burn, and obviously that wasn't happening.

He pulled out his gun, aiming at a careful angle to make sure the bullet wouldn't shoot through the pole, and pulled the trigger. The handcuffs sprang free and Stacey leapt out of the way as the fire spread towards her. She put more weight on her injured ankle than it could support and she felt herself fall back on the ground, the heat from the fire so close she thought she was burning. It wasn't until she stood that she realized her forearm had caught fire. She screamed, shaking her arm, panic rushing through her body as flames latched onto her shirt. Opie threw her on the ground away from the fire and heaved his body on top of her, stamping out the flames on her arm and stomach. He pulled her up quickly and she hovered on her foot.

"My ankle," she gasped, tears springing in her eyes as she choked back the smoke surrounding them. He nodded, lifting her up and carrying her in his arms, looking for a way out. He knew their path through the door was now blocked and he raced to the window on the opposite side of the building. He wrapped his sleeve around his fist and punched through the window. He continued breaking off the glass until the opening was wide enough to get her through.

"Jax!" he called, seeing him waiting nervously. He ran towards the window and Opie lowered her down into Jax's arms before climbing out after her. Jax carried her away from the building and set her down on the grass while she heaved, trying to catch her breath from the smoke.

"The ambulance should be here soon, Stace, you're okay," Jax said soothingly as Opie crouched next to her, holding her head in his lap. Clay joined them, relief etched across his face to see her outside and alive. They soon heard the unmistakable sound of sirens blaring towards them and looked up to see a fire engine and an ambulance racing down the road.

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**A/N - please please review! Thanks! **


	13. Chapter 13

Stacey woke up in her hospital room and looked around. Her leg was propped up in a sling with her ankle wrapped, she had an IV running into her right arm, and tubes stuck down her throat. She could tell by looking out the window that it was nighttime, but other than that she had no idea how long she'd been asleep for. She hated hospitals, had hated them ever since her brother and then her father had died in one. She'd been 11 years old the last time she'd set foot in a hospital, clutching her father's dead body as the he flat-lined, bawling her eyes out. In her experience, hospitals were where people went to die, not to get better, and she'd avoided them ever since.

Her eyes landed on Opie slumped over in a chair by the left side of her bed and she felt the corners of her mouth tip up in a small smile as she looked at him, running her hand through his hair, realizing that just his presence next to her calmed her. He stirred slightly, but didn't wake up. Her smile immediately vanished as she saw her arm and the severe burns that covered most of her forearm. It looked like her arm had died. Most of the skin was blackened and raw, but it didn't hurt at all. She didn't think that was a good sign. Tears sprung to her eyes as she recalled the events that led to the burn and she shuddered, knowing how close she'd been to being burned to death before tiredness overwhelmed her and she drifted back into an uneasy sleep.

The next time she woke up, she immediately noticed the tube in her throat had been removed. Opie was already awake and Clay, Gemma, and Jax were also in the room. They all rushed to her bedside as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Oh baby," Gemma said, holding back tears and she ran her hand along Stacey's forehead and through her hair. Stacey shook her head.

"Don't, you'll make me cry," she said.

"Doctors say you're gonna be fine," Jax told her and, as if on cue, her doctor walked into the room, lifting her chart from the foot of the bed and glancing over it before turning back to Stacey.

"Glad to see you're awake," he said cheerfully, "I'm Dr. Davis, and I'm just going to go over a few things with you." Stacey nodded as Dr. Davis glanced around at her visitors, eyeing them all.

"Are you all immediate family?" he asked. Stacey quickly grabbed Opie's hand and nodded furiously, not wanting him to have to leave, "Okay then, Stacey. I'm just going to give you a rundown of your injuries and how we can treat them." Stacey nodded, praying he said they had developed a miracle cure for scarring due to burns, "It looks like your ankle was only sprained so we're keeping it elevated and wrapped now. You'll just need a couple of weeks on a medical boot and to keep it elevated while you sleep, and it'll be fine. We also had to treat you for smoke inhalation, so we had an endotracheal tube running through your nose and down your throat to help you breathe. We've removed the tube, but we will continue to give you oxygen treatments.

"Lastly are the burns you acquired on your arm and abdomen. The IV we've administered contains electrolytes to reverse your dehydration from the burns and we'll be giving you antibiotics as well as an ointment we'll apply several times a day to help them heal. Luckily the burn on your stomach didn't go too deep and will heal with the proper care, but the burn on your arm was much deeper and will require a couple of surgeries. The first will be this afternoon, where we will surgically remove the dead tissue from the burn. We'll also want to perform a skin graft, where we'll replace the burned skin with healthy skin," Dr. Davis explained. Stacey's eyes widened as she listened to him, shaking her head involuntarily and pulling her hand from Opie's. Skin grafts always reminded her of Frankenstein, and she did not want the arm of Frankenstein.

"The skin grafts are going to help it heal and also minimize the scarring from the burn," Dr. Davis continued, "We'll be taking skin from a donor site on your body, which will then also need to receive treatment to minimize scarring. You'll need to stay in the hospital for at least a full week after the skin grafting so we can make sure the blood vessels are growing from the tissue below the graft and into the new donor skin." Stacey nodded, looking around at her family and resolutely avoiding eye contact with Opie. She desperately wished she could hide her disfigured arm from him, thankful the burn on her stomach was covered. She glanced down at her arm and grimaced, quickly looking away again.

She knew she should be happy. Happy to be alive, happy she would still have full use of her arm. But right now she couldn't think in terms like that. All she could see was what she'd lost and all she could feel was how much she hated Brad for what he'd done to her.

"Thank you, doctor," Gemma said, "Would you mind if I spoke with you outside?" Dr. Davis nodded and followed Gemma out into the hall. Stacey looked over at Clay.

"Did Tig and Juice get him?" she asked hopefully. Clay sighed, shaking his head and Stacey closed her eyes, anger and disappointment flooding her.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee, you want anything baby girl?" Clay asked Stacey. She shook her head.

"I'll go with you," Jax said, looking over at Clay. He walked over to Stacey's bed, kissing her lightly on the forehead and she gave him a small smile before he and Clay left the room. Opie took her hand, kissing it gently as he looked up at her from his perch beside her bed.

"How are you?" he asked. She shrugged, not wanting to lie to him but also not wanting to admit to how not fine she was.

"What can I do for you?" Opie asked helplessly. She turned to look at him, rage building behind her eyes.

"Find him," she said, her voice low, "You have to find him and you have to kill him." Opie's face flickered briefly with surprise at her words. He looked into her determined and hurt-filled face and nodded slowly.

"Don't worry, baby. We'll get him," he said.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Opie strode purposefully into the clubhouse after leaving the hospital and walked straight to Juice, who, as usual, was busily working on his computer.

"You got any updates?" Opie asked. Juice looked up at him.

"I was able to hack in and get the marriage annulled, for all intents and purposes. I wasn't able to completely erase the history of the marriage, there'll be a record of the annulment, but it's no longer valid at least. I also went ahead and canceled the life insurance policy. It wouldn't have gone to the asshole anymore anyway, but I figured we didn't need to tempt him with anything," he said. Opie nodded.

"Any news on his whereabouts?" he asked. Juice shook his head.

"Not yet. Clay's got me running facial recognition on pretty much everything on the internet, though, so hopefully that'll lead us somewhere. May take a little while though," he said. Opie glared at him.

"Make sure it's a very little while," he muttered, before turning and stalking off to the bar. He paused, hesitating, before turning back to Juice and saying reluctantly, "She was asking about you. Wants you to visit her." Juice nodded.

"Yeah, I was planning on going up there tonight after church," Juice said. Clay had called an emergency meeting for that evening to discuss what to do about the 'Brad problem'.

Clay and Jax arrived shortly after Opie and they, along with Bobby, Chibs, Piney, and Tig, all made their way into the clubhouse. They all filed into the chapel and took their seats around the table. Clay looked around at all of them, fire flaming behind his eyes.

"Looks like Stacey's gonna be fine," he announced to those who hadn't yet heard an update on her, "Severe burn on her arm and abdomen but they've been able to treat it before it could get infected. She'll have some scarring, but other than that she'll be okay, but only because we got there in time." He looked over at Opie, "Only because Opie ran into a burning building and got her out. I don't know how I'll ever thank you for that, brother – you saved my daughter's life." Opie nodded; they both knew his thanks was unnecessary – Opie would have died before letting Stacey burn to death.

"Unfortunately, the stupid fuck got away. Again. Juice, I want to hear some updates," he said. Juice relayed the information about the marriage annulment and canceled life insurance policy, before looking around the table.

"I really think this guy's gonna cut his losses at this point. I don't think we should expect to see him back. He has nothing to gain by coming back and trying again except possibly losing his own life in the pursuit, and this guy is not an idiot. He's actually incredibly smart," Juice said. Opie glared at him.

"Incredibly smart? He's a psychopath!" Opie said, his anger rising. Juice kept his calm, gazing back at Opie.

"An incredibly smart psychopath," Juice amended, "He won't be coming back here; I can almost guarantee it."

"That's not good enough!" Opie thundered, "We need to get rid of him. He's tried to kill Stacey THREE times – we can't let him just get away with that."

"I'm working on it," Juice said defensively, "But this guy is like smoke. There one second and then… poof. He fuckin' disappears." Opie glared at Juice. He knew that Juice was working as hard as he could on finding Brad, but that didn't stop it from being exceedingly frustrating that they were getting nowhere, and especially frustrating that there was nothing Opie could do himself to find him.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey hobbled up to her front door on crutches a week later when she'd finally been able to get released from the hospital. The doctors kept insisting that her burns had healed wonderfully, but all Stacey saw when she looked at them was an arm and stomach disfigured by scars. On top of that, the skin grafting process had left her with a large scar on her ass, an area that no woman was exceedingly confident in to begin with.

Opie tried to help her up to her front door but she shrugged him off, struggling to make her own way in while he stood behind her, looking hurt and worried. She wished he'd just leave. She just wanted to be alone and she didn't need him hovering around feeling sorry for her while he tried to avoid looking at her scars.

She limped inside, using her crutches to help her get down the hall and to her bedroom where she immediately dug through every shirt in her dresser, pulling out every long sleeve shirt she owned. She ripped her t-shirt off, quickly replacing it with the long sleeves that hid her scars while Opie watched from the doorway.

"I think I'm gonna take a nap," she told him quietly, inching out of her shorts and taking off the medical boot before climbing into bed. He nodded.

"You want me to stay?" he asked, knowing and fearing what her answer would be.

"No, it's okay. You can go," Stacey told him, turning away from him as she lay on the bed, a silent tear streaming down her cheek. He walked over to her and felt her tense up as he laid a hand on her shoulder, as if she couldn't stand the feel of his touch. He removed his hand, looking sadly at her as he walked back out of the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall next to her bedroom door and sighed.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Opie pulled up to Stacey's house a few days later, narrowing his eyes as he saw Juice's bike in the driveway. He had felt Stacey pulling away from him ever since she'd had the surgery on her arm and the last thing he wanted to see was Juice at her house when he wasn't there. He walked up to the door, unlocking it with his key, and walked in, surprised to see Stacey out of her bedroom for the first time since her release. She was sitting with Juice on the floor in the living room playing a card game. Stacey was once again wearing a long sleeve shirt and shorts, her outstretched foot wrapped in her medical boot. Stacey looked up when he entered, but she didn't smile. She rarely smiled anymore.

"Hey, Opie," she said quietly.

"Hey," he responded, walking over to her. She tilted her face up so he could kiss her, but it was quick and chaste. He looked over at Juice, nodding at him.

"Hey, brother," he said, not able to keep the annoyance out of his voice. From what he'd heard from both Jax and Gemma, it wasn't just him she was isolating herself from. Neither of them had been able to get a full conversation out of her since her release from the hospital either, so why was it Juice that had been able to get her out of her room?

Juice looked around nervously, stacking the cards in front of him up.

"Hey," he responded, slowly starting to stand, "I was just about to go." Stacey frowned, looking over at him with wide eyes.

"No, don't go," she pleaded, "You don't have to go. Opie, tell him he doesn't have to go." Opie raised his eyebrows, looking down at her. They both knew they hadn't been alone together since before her kidnapping, and Opie couldn't help but get the feeling that she was trying to keep it that way.

"You don't have to go, Juice," he said, sighing as Juice sank bank down to the floor, at look on his face that plainly said he did not want to get in the middle of whatever was happening between Opie and Stacey, "In fact, I'll just go." He looked over at Stacey, who bit her lip and looked down, but made no objection. He scoffed, nodding.

"Right," he said, turning around and walking out of the door. Stacey watched him leave, tears building behind her eyes as she looked over at Juice.

"What was all that about?" he asked. She shook her head, lying back on the carpet.

"Bring me my cigarettes?" she asked, motioning to the pack on the dining room table. She rarely smoked, but had increased the habit ever since she got out of the hospital. Juice stood and grabbed the pack off the table, bringing it and an ashtray to her and handing her a lighter. She lit a cigarette, taking a drag.

"Everything okay with you and Opie?" he asked hesitatingly. She didn't respond, "Stacey-"

"I don't want to talk about Opie," she said, cutting him off and holding back tears.

"Stacey, you know I love you like you're my own sister," Juice started reluctantly, "And I'll always be there for you if you need me. I just don't understand _why _you need me instead of your old man." Stacey looked over at him uncertainly before responding. She knew perfectly well why she preferred Juice's company to Opie's or even the rest of her family's, but she didn't feel like sharing that with anybody. She'd been taught her entire life that insecurities were weaknesses, and she'd learned not to voice her own.

"Can we just play this game?" Stacey pleaded. Juice pursed his lips, debating if he was going to press the issue or not. He finally shrugged and nodded, deciding to drop it for now. She sat up, her cigarette resting between her lips as she grabbed the cards Juice had piled and shuffled them, dealing out a new game.

SOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie lay awake in his bed at the clubhouse that night, a room that still felt unfamiliar to him even though he'd been sleeping here ever since the day Brad had gotten a hold of Stacey. He missed her house, _their_ house. He missed feeling her curled into him while they slept. He missed the smiles she gave him and the love in her eyes she used to have when she looked at him.

He'd replayed that day over and over in his mind, thinking of everything he could've done to stop the events of that day from happening. He was supposed to have protected her. He'd promised everyone that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, and Brad had taken her right from underneath him.

He fantasized again about breaking every limb off of those goddamn campus security guards that had allowed this to happen, and then about what he would do when he finally got a hold of Brad. He knew that was why Stacey was pulling away from him. For fuck's sake, she wouldn't even let him _touch_ her. He knew it was because he had failed to protect her. Clay was right – they should've barricaded her in the clubhouse until they'd made sure Brad was gone for good.

And now she'd gone running to Juice. The thought made him nauseous. He'd known they'd been close ever since Juice started out as a prospect, and he'd never particularly liked it, but he'd trusted Stacey. He'd never doubted how much she loved him; not until now, anyway. Now he couldn't stop his subconscious from loading his mind with suspicions about Stacey and Juice. Why would Juice be the one she'd want to comfort her? The only answer his mind could come up with was that she didn't love him as much as he'd thought, and the thought killed him.

He tossed around for several more minutes until finally deciding he wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon. He hauled himself out of bed and threw on some clothes before making his way towards the bar in the clubhouse. His eyes narrowed as he saw Juice's empty office. The guy had been practically glued to that computer ever since the car accident, and Opie knew the only time he was away from it was when they had church or when he was with Stacey. He checked the clock. 3 am. He had to know.

He turned resolutely away from the bar and made his way back to his room, grabbing his keys off the dresser and walking outside to his bike. He drove the short distance to Stacey's house, knowing that if Juice's bike was still in the driveway, he was a fucking dead man.

He made the turn onto Stacey's street, relief flooding his body as the only thing in Stacey's driveway was her rental car. He pulled his bike into the driveway, debating for several minutes whether or not to go in. She'd made it fairly clear to him that she didn't want him around, but until she told him otherwise she was still his old lady and he had every right to be here. He got off the bike and walked to the door, unlocking it with his key, and made his way inside.

His blood ran cold for a second as he heard noises coming from her bedroom and he immediately stalked towards it, wondering if Juice had just moved his bike and was actually still here. And then he heard her scream and he ran down the hall, whipping his gun out as he ran and burst into her bedroom, immediately flicking the light on as he did so.

Stacey was alone thrashing in her bed and she shot up straight as soon as the lights flicked on, the echo of her scream still etched on her face. Opie replaced his gun, striding quickly to her and she held her arms out to him as he sat on the bed, holding her close to him. He ran his hand through her hair as she began to cry into his chest, clutching him. It was the first time she had welcomed his touch since she had been released from the hospital.

"It's okay," he whispered to her, "You were having a nightmare."

"Stay here tonight?" she whispered, her voice muffled as her face was still buried in his chest. Opie smiled, nodding, and lay back on the bed, his arms still wrapped protectively around Stacey, who fell asleep quickly.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Opie awoke the next morning, smiling contentedly as he realized Stacey was still curled against him, fast asleep. This was the most contact she'd allowed him to have in a week and he was full of hope that this meant that he was wrong – that she did still love him and that things would get back to normal. He ran his hand absentmindedly down her arm and he felt her stir beside him, slowly opening her eyes. She gazed up at him in confusion for several moments, her eyes slowly filling with sadness, before she jerked her arm away from him and moved to the other side of the bed.

The distance she put between them could have been miles. Opie watched as she sat up, wincing as she touched her hurt ankle to the ground, and grabbed the medical boot from beside her, quickly wrapping her foot in it. She slowly stood from the bed and grabbed a pair of gym shorts, all the while avoiding looking back at Opie, proof enough to him that she still resented him for not being there to protect her.

Opie heard the front door open and Juice calling out, letting Stacey know he was there. His heart broke as he watched a small smile form on her lips and stood from the bed, walking over to where Stacey was digging through her assortment of long sleeve t-shirts and leaned against the wall.

"What's going on here, Stacey?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes quickly flicking away from him.

"You know what I mean," Opie replied, trying to keep his voice from the growl it was threatening to become, "What's going on with us? What going on with you and Juice?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

"We both know that's not true. You've barely spoken to me this week, never want me around, but Juice is always here," he said, his tone a little more accusatory than he meant it to be.

"Nothing's going on with me and Juice. He's just a friend, like he's always been, and I like having him around. That's all," she said, grabbing a shirt and limping over to her closet so he couldn't see her change. When she came back out, Opie was looking at her forlornly and she felt her heart break slightly as she looked back at him.

"Then why don't you like having me around?" he asked quietly.

"Opie, I… I can't do this right now," she whispered. His eyes widened fearfully and he took a step towards her, stopping when she took a step back.

"Do what?" he asked, "Are you… are you ending this?" She looked back at him for a beat, her heart screaming at her to stop the course of this conversation. But her mind reminded her again how damaged she was now. How it was ridiculous to think that any man would want her in her current state. Every time she laid eyes on Opie, every time he tried to touch her or get too near her, was another reminder that it was only a matter of time before he came to the same conclusion. He might stay with her for a while out of obligation or pity, but he wouldn't want her like this.

"I don't know," she said, her heart completely ripping in two at the crushed look on his face, "Opie, I… it's hard for me when you're around." He nodded, running his hand over his face and through his beard.

"I'll go then. Make it easier on you," he said harshly, before walking out of her bedroom. He saw Juice lounging on the couch in the living room and he looked up, scrambling to stand up when he saw Opie.

"Opie, hey," he said. Opie glared at him for a moment before the sounds of Stacey's crying reached his ears and his expression softened slightly.

"I don't like that she needs you here," he said to Juice, "But for whatever reason, she does and I'm glad you're here for her. But I swear to god, you try to touch her, you even think about fucking her, and I will pound you into the ground. I'm giving her space because that's what she needs from me, but make no mistake, she belongs to me." Juice nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Opie, believe me, I know who she belongs to. And so does she. She's just got some issues she's working out," Juice said, "She'll come around." Opie nodded, walking out of the door, not sure that either of them really believed that.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Brad drummed his fingernails on his thigh, a smile plastered on his face as his mind roamed away from the incredibly boring speech he was having to listen to. He reminded himself that listening to this speech was all part of the charade, and since it hadn't worked out with Stacey, this was all the more necessary. He had to keep the smile forced on his face as his thoughts drifted to Stacey. The stupid bitch. But he'd have to forget about her. There was no point in killing her now except revenge, and he had learned that revenge as a motivator made you sloppy, caused you to make stupid mistakes. Like not putting a bullet through her head in the first place.

Though bullets in the head does make it much harder to make it look like an accidental death; or at least, a death where he would not be implicated. Payouts on life insurance policies are such a hassle when homicide is suspected – he learned that with that slut Bethany Green. Luckily for him, Bethany had been cheating on him and it became all too easy to pin her murder on her lover – that idiot David Rodriguez. As soon as the insurance paid out, he had moved on. New name, new city filled with senseless women to seduce.

He should have cut out when he found out about that mohawked asshole's computer skills. Instead, he'd taken it as a challenge. He'd underestimated him; underestimated all of those fucking bikers. But now they were onto him and going back again would probably just get him killed.

He struggled to keep smiling as his fiancé, Anna's, mother droned on and on in her speech at their engagement party about how happy he and Anna were going to be together. He found these events to be dreadfully boring, but a necessary evil. Hopefully this would be the last one he'd have to suffer through for a long time. Anna would be a pretty big pay out, much larger than Stacey's would have been, at any rate.

He was very lucky he had Anna as a backup. Lovely Anna, whom he'd met shortly after moving to Sacramento with Stacey. Idiotic Anna, who believed him completely when he told her his company had relocated him to Ashland, Oregon, where she lived. It had been difficult at first, juggling the two women, but they had both been so trusting.

He knew he'd need to get rid of Stacey quickly, knew she was starting to pull away from him and towards that biker oaf. So he'd taken her to Vegas, slipped some GHB in her drink and dragged her to a small chapel before she passed out on him. He'd never had to do that before and he had to say, that might be the way to go from now on. He was so tired of weddings. What was it about women and weddings? God. They needed the engagement parties, the showers, the cakes, the flowers, the venues. It was really starting to become so mindlessly boring. It was much easier to do a quickie in Vegas.

When he'd first taken this on as his career of choice, it had been a challenge for him. Exciting. The plotting, the planning, the seducing… getting a woman to marry you in under 6 months. Now, however, it was becoming monotonous. Every girl looked the same, acted the same. Well, except Stacey. She'd always be 'the one who got away', though he supposed in a much different context than the phrase normally implies.

Well, in a few weeks he'd be married to Anna. A small ceremony at a nearby hotel. Just family and close friends – Anna's, of course. He had no family or close friends. Anna was under the impression that he'd been orphaned as a young child and grew up in foster care. She thought he had a few close friends he kept in touch with but sadly none of them would be able to make it to the wedding. He had discovered pretty quickly that women tended to be suspicious if they thought you had no friends or family, but he'd long ago worked out ways to explain their absence at his weddings.

He smiled, his hand firmly around Anna's waist as they smiled for their engagement picture. He still hadn't worked out exactly how he'd do it with Anna. Something quick; he really didn't want to drag this on. Perhaps a robbery gone bad? Or maybe a freak boating accident? Allergic reaction? Heart attack? His smile became sincere as his thoughts moved to how he would get rid of the woman sitting beside him. The possibilities were endless.

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**A/N - Thanks again to all my new reviewers/subscribers! Every time I get a new email I get so excited :) Please review this chapter, let me know what you think! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Sorry it's taken a little longer than usual to get this up! My work has picked up and is keeping me a lot busier than I was this summer, which is a bummer and gives me a lot less time to write. But I hope y'all like this chapter! **

* * *

Stacey groaned as she heard someone knock on her door. She rolled over in her bed, clutching her pillow over her ear to try to drown out the noise, but it wouldn't stop. She sighed and finally climbed out of bed. Her ankle had finally healed and though the doctor had ordered her to keep the walking boot on awhile longer, it was now stuffed in the back of her closet. It may be a while before she was back in heels, but she could at least walk normally.

She walked down the hall to the front door and glanced through the peephole to see the Chief of Police, Wayne Unser, standing there next to one of his deputies, David Hale. Unser was an old friend of her mom's and someone Clay routinely ran protection runs for for his trucking company. Stacey had known him practically her entire life. Stacey had been expecting them to show up since she'd gotten out of the hospital over a week ago, and knew it was only a matter of time. She took a deep breath before opening the door and the two men strode into her living room.

"Hi, Wayne," Stacey said in greeting, "David. Something I can help you two with?" she asked. Unser looked uncomfortable, Hale cocky. Hale was Jax's age and they'd gone to school together. Stacey didn't know him well, but they'd been on friendly enough terms while she was growing up, before he'd joined the force.

"Yeah, we had some questions for you about your accident," Hale said. Stacey shrugged.

"I don't know what I can tell you," she said, "I don't know anything."

"You don't know anything?" Hale asked, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. Stacey shook her head.

"No, I was walking out of my class up in Davis when someone hit me on the head from behind. I didn't see who it was. Next thing I know, I was in the middle of a burning building. I got out and managed to call Opie," she said.

"So you were alone when you woke up?" Hale asked, "You didn't see anything?"

"No. Sorry I can't help you," she said.

"It looked like the warehouse had been cleaned out before the arson investigators got there to do a report. Fire chief said it looked like things had been moved after the fire," Hale informed her. Stacey shrugged.

"I don't know anything about that," she said.

"Uh huh," Hale said, his voice full of disbelief, "Do you know what was in that warehouse?"

"Is your investigation about who set the fire or about what was in the warehouse?" Stacey asked snippily.

"It could all be related," Hale responded easily, "Do you have any idea of anyone who might have wanted to hurt you?" Hale asked. Stacey shrugged, shaking her head.

"No. I don't have any enemies," she responded.

"I want to help you, Stacey," Hale responded, "But I can't do that if you don't tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth. Wish I knew more. No one wants more than me to see whoever did this to me behind bars, but unfortunately I just don't know anything. I'll call you if I think of anything," she said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm very tired. I need to go lie down." Hale and Unser exchanged looks before heading towards the door. Unser stopped and turned to look over at Stacey.

"I'm glad you're okay, Stacey," he said. She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Thanks, Wayne," she said.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie filed out of the chapel behind his brothers and walked straight to the bar, barking at a croweater stationed behind it to get him a drink before slouching on one of the bar stools. He sipped listlessly on his drink, looking around the clubhouse that was getting ready for its usual Friday night debauchery and wishing once again that Stacey was here.

But he knew she wouldn't be coming. She hadn't left her house in several weeks, and it had been over a week since the last time he saw her, when he thought she'd been close to breaking things off. He had no idea where they stood at this point and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to take one of the half-clothed whores running around back to his dorm room and pound out all of his frustrations into her.

Gemma walked up to the bar and a croweater quickly handed her a beer before she sat down next to Opie, silently appraising him.

"Not now, Gemma," Opie sighed, tossing back the rest of his drink before setting the glass back down on the bar.

"I take it my darling daughter's shutting you out, too," Gemma responded, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one before offering them to Opie. He took one, feeling the nicotine flood his system as he exhaled.

"I'm afraid to talk to her," he admitted and Gemma raised her eyebrows in surprise, "The last time I talked to her she almost ended things. I'm afraid the next conversation we have is gonna be the last."

"Well, she's not talking to me or Clay, either. Or even Jax. Pretty much just stays locked up in her room every time we go over there. I don't think she's left that house since she got out of the hospital," Gemma said. Opie sighed and nodded, glancing across the room at Juice who was currently entertaining a couple of croweaters on the couch.

"Juice would probably be the better person to talk to about Stacey right now, Gemma. He's the only person she'll talk to," he said, unable to mask the bitterness in his voice.

"Mmmm," Gemma responded, following Opie's gaze to Juice, "She loves you, Opie. That's the truth. I just think she's terrified right now to be around anyone she loves. Don't ask me why, cause I don't know, but I think that's why she's latched onto Juice so hard." Opie sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, but I don't know how much longer I can keep going like this. She won't talk to me, won't see me… the relationship is over; it's just that neither of us have admitted it yet," he grumbled. Gemma pursed her lips thoughtfully before rising from the bar stool, grabbing her purse.

"You two have worked too damn hard to let that stupid fucker ruin everything," she said. She glanced briefly around at all of the girls running around the clubhouse before turning back to Opie, "I'll be back. Don't do anything stupid you'll regret while I'm gone."

SOASOASOASOASOA

Gemma strode up to Stacey's front door, a woman on a mission. Stacey's hand-holding, wallowing in her own self-pity days were over. Someone had to knock it out of the girl. She was self-destructing, and fast. She'd already had to drop out of UC Davis for the semester for missing all of her final exams; she wasn't going to let her ruin her relationship with Opie, too.

She barged through the front door, walking directly back to Stacey's bedroom and strode through the door. Stacey glanced up from her spot on the bed, rolling her eyes as she saw her mother walking towards her. Gemma sat on the edge of the bed and Stacey was actually glad to see the anger and frustration in her eyes. It made a nice change from the worry and pity that had occupied her expression for so long.

"Hey, mom," Stacey said, sitting up and crossing her legs.

"What are you doing, baby?" Gemma asked. Stacey shrugged.

"I was taking a nap before you barged in," she said.

"You're always napping and good lord when was the last time you ate something?" she asked, aghast as she pulled the covers off of Stacey, who had obviously dropped several pounds since getting out of the hospital. Stacey shrugged.

"Juice made me a sandwich sometime today," she said. Gemma rolled her eyes, standing up.

"Get out of that bed and come into the kitchen. I'm making you something to eat and then we're gonna talk – no excuses," she said firmly. Stacey sighed, standing up and following Gemma out to the kitchen where she got busy going through her pantry and fridge, looking for something to whip together. She finally found some spaghetti noodles and sauce buried in the pantry and got busy as Stacey sat at the dining room table lighting a cigarette. Gemma joined her while the noodles and sauce were cooking and looked over at her.

"You want to tell me what's really been bothering you?" she asked.

"I was almost burned alive," Stacey reminded her, "Aren't I allowed a little time to myself after something like that?" Gemma rolled her eyes.

"I know this all isn't just some PTSD bullshit you're dealing with. And if it was, I'd be even more pissed that you've been hiding from everyone," she replied, "I know you were put through hell, baby, but you survived it, and you got a man that loves you going out of his mind about you." Stacey sighed, taking a drag off her cigarette before looking at her mom. She glanced down at the scar Gemma wore proudly down the middle of her chest, a token of the congenital heart defect that they had all been afflicted with and that Thomas had not survived, and wondered, not for the first time, how her mom did it. She absentmindedly ran her hand over her own scarred arm through the t-shirt covering it.

"Why don't you hide it?" Stacey asked her in a whisper.

"Hide what, baby?" Gemma asked. Stacey reached over, trailing her finger down the scar on her mom's chest.

"The scar," she said. Gemma raised her eyebrows in surprise, but was glad that she was finally getting somewhere with Stacey.

"You think I need to hide it?" Gemma asked. Stacey frowned, shaking her head.

"No, I just don't know… what did dad think about it?" she asked, trying to get her thoughts under control. Gemma looked thoughtfully at her daughter, who stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and began subconsciously rubbing her arm again.

"Has all this been because of the scars from your burns?" Gemma asked, finally getting to the bottom of Stacey's problems. Stacey looked up at her, tears brimming in her eyes as she rolled the sleeve of her shirt back, revealing the large, discolored scars and burn marks covering her forearm, and pulled her shirt up to show her the burn marks across her abdomen.

"How am I supposed to go out like that?" she asked quietly, "How am I supposed to let Opie see that? Why would he want to stay with me when I look like this?" Gemma shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"I got this scar right before I met your dad. Had the surgery when I was in high school. It was awful at first; I didn't want anyone to see it. I was always covering it up with t-shirts and sweaters. And then I woke up one day and said to myself that I could either spend the rest of my life ashamed of it, or I could embrace it. And when I met John, he didn't care about the scar. It shows you've gone through some shit and come out the other side okay, that's all," Gemma paused her speech to reach over and take Stacey's hand.

"Stacey, you're a beautiful girl – you take after your mama that way," she said, eliciting a smirk from Stacey, "And Opie loves you. He's not gonna care about those scars, but you've got to give him a chance to prove that. Otherwise, how are you ever going to know? You're making his decision for him, and that's not fair." The oven timer beeped and Gemma stood to take the pots off the stove, leaving Stacey to think about what she said. Gemma returned with a bowl full of spaghetti for Stacey and sat with her while she ate, suddenly ravenous.

"I'm sorry I shut you out," Stacey finally said after taking the last bite of spaghetti. Gemma nodded.

"Why did you?" she asked. Stacey shrugged.

"I guess I was having a hard time dealing with what happened, and you and Clay and Jax… you've always been so strong. Like fucking rocks. I just felt… ashamed I guess, that I wasn't like that," she said, looking down at her hands, "And then you all just kept looking at me like I was this sad, pathetic thing, which I know I was – I just hated seeing it in all of your eyes. It was just a constant reminder of what happened." Gemma shook her head, taking her hand.

"You _are_ strong, Stacey. Nobody goes through shit like you did unscathed. None of us are great at dealing with shit – look at Jax after the bitch left, and that was just because he got dumped. None of us are rocks, but we have each other to lean on when times get tough, and that's where you went wrong," Gemma said, "And you got a lot of apologies that need to go around, you know." Stacey sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'll go over to the clubhouse in a little bit. I just need to shower," she said.

"Well hurry. You wait much longer and everyone's gonna be too drunk to remember you apologized and you're just gonna have to do it again tomorrow," Gemma told her and Stacey grinned, rushing off to her bathroom to shower.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey pulled into the lot of TM less than an hour later to find the party overflowing onto the parking lot. Sons, croweaters, and hang-arounds swarmed the ring where a match was taking place. She stepped out of her car, feeling self-conscious in her shorts and long sleeved t-shirt, but she wasn't ready to walk through a full clubhouse with her arm showing just yet. She scanned the lot and saw Clay cheering on Tig in the ring and her brother sitting on the picnic table smoking a cigarette, his arm around Wendy. He spotted her as she walked up and stood from the picnic table.

"And look what the cat dragged in!" Jax crowed as he engulfed her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Jax," she told him as they pulled apart. He shook his head.

"Nah, you handle your problems like a true Teller – badly and by yourself," he said grinning. She laughed as he slung his arm around her shoulder, kissing the top of her head, "I'm glad you're here, though." She nodded.

"Me too," she said, "Have you seen Opie?" Jax nodded.

"Yeah, he's pretty pissed at you – fair warning. But he's inside," he said. Stacey grimaced before walking over to talk to Clay. Apparently Tig had won the match as he was now sitting gleefully in the middle of a crowd of croweaters, all clambering for his attention. Clay stood near him with Bobby and caught her eye as she walked towards them.

"Hey, baby girl," he said, giving her a hug, "You made it." Stacey nodded.

"Yeah, I just wanted to come over and tell you I was sorry for, you know, not returning your calls or anything," she said. He nodded.

"That's alright – I'm just glad to see you out and about. You feeling okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she told him.

"How's your foot? Doctor said you needed to keep that boot on for at least another week," he scolded her. She grinned, shaking her head.

"It's okay," she said. He nodded.

"You taking your antibiotics? Keeping that stuff on your burn?" he asked. She nodded, rolling her eyes at his typical overprotectiveness.

"Yes and yes," she told him. He nodded.

"Alright, good," he said, giving her another hug, "You let me know if you need anything, alright?" She nodded.

"Thanks, Clay," she said before walking back over to the door to the clubhouse, bracing herself to talk to Opie. She knew he had every right to be angry with her, but she'd gotten off so easy with Clay and Jax and now dreaded facing Opie. She prayed her mom was right and that he loved her enough that they could get past all of this together.

She walked inside the clubhouse, taking deep, steadying breaths as she looked around the room for Opie. She spotted him sitting on a couch with Chibs, a croweater draped across his lap, nibbling on his ear. Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms across her chest and walked over to him. He glanced up, his eyes widening as he saw her heading towards him and he stood up so abruptly the croweater tumbled off of his lap, screaming expletives. Without giving her so much as a second glance, he walked over to Stacey.

"You're here," he said, his voice full of disbelief. She nodded, biting her lip nervously as she looked up at him.

"Can we talk?" she asked, not even sure he would still want to hear anything she had to say after she'd spent the past week completely ignoring him. He nodded as he pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. She clutched the back of his cut, holding him close to her until they eventually pulled apart and he led her to his dorm room.

"Opie, I don't even know what to say," Stacey started after he had closed the door behind him. He looked nervously at her, unsure at this point where this conversation would lead.

"I'll start then," he said, pacing nervously around the room and running a hand through his hair, "Stacey… I'm so sorry." Stacey stared incredulously at him, trying to figure out what he was apologizing for.

"You're sorry?" she asked, moving closer to him as he halted his pacing, "What are you sorry for?" He turned his head to look at her.

"For… for letting that happen to you. For not protecting you. I should've been there, and I wasn't, and this… it's all my fault," Opie said. Stacey's eyes widened as she realized the conclusion Opie had drawn from her withdrawal. It was enough to break her heart all over again.

"Opie, no," she said imploringly, reaching a hand to stroke his cheek, "You saved my life. You… you ran into a burning building to get me out." He looked at her confused, leaning his cheek into her palm.

"Then… why?" he asked. She pulled her hand away, resting it over her stomach and took a deep breath.

"I was… embarrassed," she mumbled, "Of the scars. I didn't think you'd want me anymore." Opie stared at her for a beat.

"Stacey, I'm in love with you," he said, looking into her eyes, "Nothing's ever going to change that, especially not the way you look. Fuck, I'm just so glad you're alive." Stacey smiled sheepishly at him before standing on her tip toes and reaching up to kiss him. Opie wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her back and Stacey melted into him, realizing how much she'd missed his touch.

"I love you, too," she whispered as he moved his lips to her neck, sucking lightly as his hands moved down to the bottom of her shirt. She felt her body tense but allowed him to pull it off and stood in front of him as his eyes grazed her body.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, taking her arm and kissing along the scars that filled it. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her to stand in front of him as he moved his lips across the scars on her stomach. She ran her hands through his hair, looking down at him in awe as he melted away every last bit of embarrassment she felt with every subsequent kiss. He turned his eyes to look up at her as his hands unzipped her shorts and he slid them and her underwear down to the floor.

Stacey climbed on top of him, straddling him, and leaned down to kiss him, fisting his hair. His hands wrapped around her back, unhooking her bra and she shrugged it off quickly without breaking contact from his lips. His hands roamed over her body as she grinded her hips against his, feeling his arousal grow beneath her. He groaned, kissing her wildly before grasping her legs and flipping her over on her back. He stood in front of her, watching her panting, looking up at him with need as he ripped off his clothes. He settled on top of her, his erection pressing against her as he propped himself up on his arms.

"I missed you," he said, brushing a piece of hair off her face as he gazed down at her. She smiled up at him, running her hands up his arms and over his shoulders.

"God I missed you, too," she said. He kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth as his hand moved down her body to her leg. He grasped it and rolled over, pulling her on top of him as she continued kissing him. He grabbed her ass, lifting her up slightly as he guided her onto his stiff cock. She moaned as she felt it slide inside of her, filling her up. He guided her hips with his hands as she rocked back and forth while he looked up at her.

Her long, dark hair hung in waves around her shoulders and she arched her back, feeling his eyes on her, and she could feel joy radiating out of her at the knowledge that she didn't care any longer if he could see her. All former thoughts of shame had disappeared and she reveled at being able to feel so comfortable with Opie while being so exposed to him. She smiled as she realized that no matter how hard Brad tried, he'd never be able to take that away from her.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie walked Stacey out of the dorms the next morning and into the clubhouse, his arm wrapped firmly around her waist. The evidence of last night's party was plastered all around the room in the form of sons and croweaters passed out on every surface available and empty glasses, cups, and cans scattered everywhere. The only sign of life was Juice, in the corner at his office, his eyes intently scanning a piece of paper he held in his hands. He looked up as Opie and Stacey walked into the room, a look of triumph spreading across his face.

"What's up?" Stacey asked as she and Opie made their way around unconscious bodies towards him. Juice looked between Opie and Stacey, obviously wanting to burst with the information but unsure if he should say anything with Stacey there. Opie looked down at her then back over at Juice.

"This about him?" he asked. Juice nodded, "You can say what you found. Let's go outside." Juice nodded again and followed them out to the picnic tables. Stacey and Opie took a seat as Juice practically shoved the sheet of paper he'd been looking at into Opie's hand.

It was a printout of an engagement announcement, and Opie's eyes immediately widened as he recognized the smiling face in the picture, wrapped around a beaming blond woman. The caption under the page claimed the man's name was Evan Parker, but there was no mistaking him. Opie's eyes scanned the short article, Stacey reading over his shoulder, before they both looked up at Juice, stunned.

"How did you find this?" Opie asked. Juice ginned proudly as he took the sheet back.

"I've been running facial recognition on everything on the internet without much luck. I had way too broad of a search and didn't really know how to narrow it down. So I started going back over Brad's tracks. I knew his MO now was find a girl, get married, get life insurance policy, kill girl, collect money, and move on to the next girl. Brad's known for a long time that we were on to him so I figured he'd probably have had his next girl lined up for a while, especially since Stacey wasn't working out so well for him," Juice explained.

"So, what, you just started looking through every newspaper in the country for engagement announcements? How'd you even know there'd be one?" Opie asked, more impressed than he wanted to admit.

"I looked through the newspapers from the towns of some of his other marriages, and several of them had announcements in the paper. I just hoped his next one would, so I had Unser send his picture to every newspaper within a 300 mile radius of Sacramento. I figured if he was dating this girl at the same time as Stacey, she'd need to be close enough that he could get up there occasionally without having to take a plane or spend a day driving. Told Unser to tell them it was part of a police investigation; that he was looking for this guy and thought he might be getting married. This was faxed over to me this morning," Juice finished.

"It said he's getting married next week," Stacey said, excitement mounting in her voice, "You know where he's gonna be!" Opie stood, looking down at her.

"You didn't hear any of this," Opie said, his voice firm. Stacey stood also, her arms crossed.

"Opie-" she started. Opie shook his head.

"No, Stacey, you didn't hear any of this," Opie repeated, "Whatever happens now, you can't know anything about it. You need to go home right now and let us handle this." Stacey bit her lip, looking up at him.

"But you guys _are_ going to handle it, right?" she asked, "He's going to kill that girl – you know he is. You can't let him do that!" Opie kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Go home, Stacey," he said again. She finally nodded and made her way to her car. Opie and Juice watched her climb in and drive away before turning back to each other.

"We need to call Clay," Opie said as Stacey's car turned the corner.

* * *

**A/N - Please please review and let me know what you thought! I'll try to get the next chapter up within the week! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N I know I said I'd have this up about two weeks ago - I'm so sorry it's late! My work schedule has gotten a lot more hectic now that we're into the fall, so I don't have the time I did in the summer to write every day, unfortunately. I'll try to get the chapters updated more quickly! **

* * *

Opie sat on the edge of the bed in the hotel room, screwing a silencer onto the end of his gun, thinking about how much more satisfying it would be to use his knife to gut the fucker instead. But after today, the Brad problem would no longer exist and he didn't need anything more satisfying than that. Clay walked out of the bathroom and looked over at Opie, his eyes mirroring the steely determination Opie felt. They both heard the lock click on their door and Opie jumped up on the defense, but it was only Jax who walked through the door.

Opie almost smirked as he got another look at Jax in his pressed button down tucked into a pair of Dockers, his hair slicked back, until he remembered he looked equally preppy. No cuts, tattoos covered, beards trimmed. They could have been meeting up to play a round of golf.

"He's in room 211," Jax said quietly after the door had shut behind him, "And he's alone. Saw him go in there about 10 minutes ago." Opie and Clay nodded, Clay digging in his pocket for the blank key card he'd snatched from the front desk when he'd checked in.

"He see you?" Clay asked, handing the card to Opie, who pocketed it. Jax rolled his eyes.

"No, he didn't see me," he said, "Ceremony starts in an hour. Maid's on our floor."

"Then I guess it's show time," Opie said, his voice determined. Jax glanced over at him and nodded.

"Guess it is," he said.

"Alright I'll get this room cleared out and get checked out of the hotel. Juice has got the van downstairs. Text me when it's done and we'll pull around to the front," Clay said. Opie and Jax nodded as Opie pulled on his blazer and tucked his gun inside.

"Let's roll," Opie said and led Jax out of the room. The maid was pushing her cart down the hall, her back to them. She was young and dark skinned with thick black hair tied up in a ponytail. They watched as she knocked on a door.

"Housekeeping!" she called, her Spanish accent thick. She waited a moment for an answer before pulling a key card out of her pocket and used it to open the door.

"Excuse me," Jax said, swaggering up to the maid, his typical panty-dropping smirk plastered across his face. She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes raking over Jax as she set the card on the cart. Opie rolled his eyes at his friend's charms as Jax stopped in front of the girl.

"Si?" the girl said.

"Ahhh," Jax started, temporarily thrown by the girl's Spanish, before leaning over the cart and grinning at the girl, "Habla ingles?" The girl giggled and shook her head.

"Little," she replied.

"Mi nombre Jax," he said and Opie had to stop himself from smirking at Jax's attempts to flirt in Spanish, "What's your name, darlin'?"

"Gaby," she said, her smile widening as she blushed slightly. Opie shook his head as Jax leaned against the wall and Gaby's eyes followed him. While she was distracted from the cart, Opie slid the card key into his pocket, replacing it with the blank card. Hopefully, Gaby would just assume there was a glitch on her card when she tried to open the next room, but by then they'd already be gone.

"Uhh… muy bonita," Jax said, flicking his eyes over to Opie, who nodded. Gaby smiled, blushing furiously as she flicked her eyes to the floor, tucking her hair behind her ear. Jax pushed himself off the wall.

"Well, see you around, Gaby," he said, unsure if she had any idea what he was saying, but he had exhausted every Spanish phrase he knew. Gaby waved goodbye as Jax and Opie strode casually down the hall to the stairwell, hurrying down the stairs and pushing the door open at the second floor. They walked down the hall until they reached room 211 and Opie pressed his ear to the door, listening for any sounds of activity.

"Shower's running," Opie said as they both looked down the hall. It was empty. Opie pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket and pulled them on before sliding the card into the door and they heard it click. The sound of running water grew louder as Opie opened the door and walked inside while Jax stood guard in the hall.

The water shut off and Opie heard the sound of a shower curtain being pulled aside. He grinned to himself, the anticipation building. This wouldn't be the first kill on Opie's resume, but this would be the first one he was actually looking forward to. He wasn't like Tig – he'd never enjoyed killing before – but he'd made sure Clay let him have this one. He knew he'd have to keep his emotions in check, however. Nothing would have given him more pleasure than to do it slowly; a swift kill seemed too good for this fucker after everything he'd put them through. But speed was a necessity. One shot to the head. Maybe two or three for good measure.

Opie stripped himself of his jacket and shirt, laying them on the bed before walking to the bathroom door. He opened the door slowly and saw Brad wrapped in a towel, peering at himself in the mirror. Opie grinned as Brad's eye caught his through the mirror and widened, knowing he was trapped. Brad whipped around, looking wildly around the bathroom for a weapon or an escape route, but there was none.

Opie raised the gun, aiming directly between his eyes and Brad opened his mouth, letting out a loud scream. Opie changed his mind at that moment, his anger fueling his actions as he aimed slightly lower and shot him in the throat. The bullet sliced cleanly through, imbedding in the wall behind him. Brad threw his hands to his throat, trying to staunch the thick flood of blood that pooled out from the wound. He sputtered, spitting out mouthfuls of blood as he staggered backwards against the sink. Opie smiled darkly as he watched him suffer before raising his gun again, this time shooting him in the stomach. Brad keeled over, collapsing onto the floor as he looked up at Opie.

"I wanted to give you a little extra time," Opie said easily as he bent over and pressed the barrel of his gun against Brad's temple, "So that you could think about what a mistake it was to go after Stacey. You should have realized who you were dealing with." And with that he pulled the trigger, an enormous sense of satisfaction coursing through him as Brad's head blew backwards against the cabinets behind him. Opie stood and stared at him for a moment before raising his gun again and pulled the trigger until he emptied his clip into Brad.

Brad's lifeless body lay on the floor, blood and brain matter spattered all over the bathroom, his face completely unrecognizable. Opie sneered at him as he used a clean rag to wipe the gun of any prints and tossed it on the ground.

He walked quickly into the bedroom, throwing on his shirt and jacket again. He checked his pants; they were black and the splatters of blood were barely noticeable. He took one last look in the bathroom, relieved that they could all put this behind them now, before walking back into the hall. He nodded briefly to Jax, who grabbed his prepay out of his pocket, sending Clay a quick message that it was done, as they walked casually down the stairs and into the lobby of the hotel.

They saw the van, complete with bogus plates, pull up to the front of the hotel just as they pushed open the doors. Opie and Jax hopped into the back and the van pulled away from the curb, Juice at the wheel and Clay in the front seat.

"It's done?" Clay asked as Juice made his way to the highway for the six hour drive back to Charming.

"It's done," Opie replied.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"Baby, why don't you have a seat?" Gemma asked calmly from her perch on a bar stool. Stacey was pacing back and forth in the clubhouse, a beer clutched in her hand as she took frequent glances at the door. She looked back over at Gemma and shook her head.

"I can't sit right now," she said sighing. She knew Brad was getting married today in Ashland and she could put two and two together when Clay, Jax, Opie, and Juice had all disappeared, even if they wouldn't tell her anything. She knew her boys could take care of themselves, but she had also discovered first-hand what Brad was capable of and she couldn't help but be a little worried.

Her ears perked up as she heard the sound of a car pulling into the lot and she raced out of the clubhouse to see the boys climbing out of the van. A grin spread across her face as she glanced between Opie and Jax's outfits. She was pretty sure the last time she saw them looking so well-dressed was at Clay and Gemma's wedding. She ran directly for Opie, jumping into his arms and kissing him, her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her up. He smiled at her as she looked into his eyes imploringly and gave her a slight nod.

"You don't need to worry anymore, okay babe?" he said. She breathed a sigh of relief as he set her back on the pavement and she turned to look at the others.

"I'm glad you're all okay," she said.

"Okay? We've been here all day," Clay said, winking at Stacey as they filed back into the clubhouse. Gemma stood as soon as she saw them walk in and let her face reveal for the tiniest of moments how worried she had been before she smiled at them all. Clay walked over and gave her a kiss before she turned to Jax, clutching him to her.

"Family dinner tomorrow night," Gemma announced, "I think we could all use a little celebration."

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"Opie, we're gonna be late," Stacey said, rushing to the kitchen while she struggled to get her earrings on. She checked the casserole in the oven and quickly took it out, setting it on the stove while she turned off the oven, "You know what my mom's like when we're late."

"Stacey, I think you better come here," Opie said from his spot on the couch where his eyes were glued to the TV. Stacey frowned, walking over to the living room and looking at the TV, gasping as she saw Brad's face smiling eerily at her from the screen.

"What is this?" she asked. Opie didn't answer, just turned the volume up.

"Evan Parker, age 36, was found murdered in his hotel room in Ashland, Oregon yesterday after a search was sent out for him when he failed to show up for his wedding, but that is only the beginning of this incredibly strange story. Stephanie Mason has the full story," the news anchor began. Stacey glanced at Opie before sinking onto the couch next to him, her eyes glued to the television. The screen switched to a woman standing in front of a small hotel clutching a microphone.

"Thank you, Angela. I'm standing here in front of the Ashland Hills hotel, what was supposed to be the site of the wedding between Evan Parker and Anna Swinton. They only met 6 months ago, but it was a whirlwind romance. However, Evan Parker never arrived for his wedding. He was found in the bathroom of his hotel room, shot several times in his head, throat and stomach. It was devastating for Anna, but as it turns out, it just might have been the luckiest day of her life.

"Evan Parker was not the man he claimed to be. His real name was David Novak, and he has been wanted by Interpol for over 20 years for the murder of his mother, father, and two brothers in the Czech Republic. He has managed to evade arrest for two decades by bouncing around the US and the UK, luring young women into marriage only to kill them for their life insurance money. It is unclear how many women have fallen victim to David Novak's schemes, but through my investigation in this story I was able to find probably the only woman who married Mr. Novak that remains alive today," the news anchor continued, a smug smile spreading across her face. Stacey gasped, looking over at Opie who shook his head.

"You got nothing to worry about, Stace," he said quietly, taking her hand in his.

"Her name is Stacey Teller. She was married in Las Vegas to David Novak, who was going by the name of Brad Willis at the time, before having the marriage annulled soon after. We have discovered that Mr. Novak might have taken a recent attempt at Ms. Teller's life. She was recently treated at St. Thomas hospital in Charming, California for severe burn injuries after being involved in a horrific nightmare when she was almost burned to death in an abandoned warehouse. It is not confirmed whether or not Mr. Novak was responsible for the incident, however," the news anchor finished. Stacey stared at the TV as they moved on to the next news item, unable to move from her spot.

"Opie, how did they know that?" she whispered. Opie shook his head.

"They knew where to look," he said, "Look, don't worry about this. There's nothing that connects you to that murder." She looked over at him, her eyes wide, as she slowly shook her head.

"No, but I connect _you _to that murder, Opie," she said, "I connect the club!" He grasped her hand, looking straight into her eyes.

"They have nothing except speculation. We were careful, Stacey. You gotta trust me on this," he said.

"I do trust you," Stacey said, "Of course I trust you. But I'm the one that asked you to do it. If anything happens… it's my fault." Opie cupped her chin in his hand, looking down at her.

"Stacey, it was gonna happen, whether or not you had asked me to. I don't want you worrying about this, okay? It's all gonna be fine," he told her. She nodded.

"What do I say if they question me?" she asked.

"You don't say anything, like always," he said. She nodded, leaning against him as she tried to get her nerves under control. He was right. She knew they were careful; knew they would have made sure nothing was left at the hotel to give any sign they'd ever been there. But she couldn't stop herself from worrying.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey was quiet all through dinner, going over the news segment in her mind for the hundredth time. It had taken Juice months to uncover all of that information about Brad; how had they managed to do it in a night? Did they get their information straight from the police? That seemed likely. There must have been some sort of press conference. Stacey cringed to think of her name being brought up to reporters. Surely the police wouldn't have released her name. That must have come from further investigation by the reporter.

Her phone had been ringing off the hook all night. Calls from Kara and Leslie, friends from school, and a lot of unknown numbers that she assumed were reporters wanting to interview her. She'd finally had to shut her phone off. How long would this go on? He was dead. That should have been the end of things. But he somehow still managed to have a hold over her life.

"Stacey, you okay?" Gemma asked as Stacey ran her fork through her mashed potatoes. She lifted her head and looked over at her mother.

"What? Yeah. Fine," she muttered. Gemma glanced over at Opie, who sighed.

"There was a report on the news. That's why we were late," Opie said, "Stacey's name got brought up."

"What?" Gemma asked fiercely, "They gave out her _name_? Can they do that?" Clay shrugged, but he looked just as angry.

"She's not a minor," he said. Gemma frowned, looking over at Stacey. Before she could say anything there was a loud bang on the front door and Stacey jumped, staring wide eyed at the door. Gemma looked over at Clay, who stood to get the door. They couldn't hear more than murmurs until the door slammed and Clay stalked back into the dining room, taking his seat. Gemma looked down the table at him curiously.

"Fuckin feds," Clay explained briskly. Stacey's eyes widened as she glanced over at Opie before looking back at Clay.

"Feds?" she repeated, "What did they want?" Clay sighed, shaking his head.

"Wanted to talk to you," he said, "Had some questions. Told 'em you had nothing to say." Stacey nodded, sitting back in her chair.

"And they just left?" she asked. Clay shrugged.

"Wouldn't let 'em in the house. They didn't have an arrest warrant," he said.

"This isn't good, Clay. If I don't talk to them they're gonna start looking into the club…" Stacey said, her voice trailing off.

"This isn't for you to worry about," Clay said firmly, "We'll handle it." But Stacey couldn't help but notice the nervous expression on everyone's face around the table, and she had a feeling this wasn't the last they were going to hear from those agents.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

The next morning, Special Agents Bryan and Carlson strode through the Charming Police Station where they'd recently set up shop, sneering as they looked around the small station and counting down the days until they could return to FBI headquarters in San Francisco. They walked up to the desk of Officer Gable, one of Charming PD's newest acquirements. He looked up when they stopped at his desk, nearly falling out of his chair in his eagerness to stand.

"You ready?" Bryan asked, struggling not to roll his eyes. Gable nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, definitely!" he said, leading the way out of the station.

"Stay here, hopefully this won't take long," Bryan said to Carlson, who nodded in agreement as Bryan followed Gable out to his car.

"So what's the plan?" Gable asked as he took his seat behind the wheel of the police car, Bryan in the passenger seat.

"She should be leaving for work at Teller-Morrow soon. We follow her until she does something to get pulled over," Bryan said, "Then we bring her in." Gable nodded as he pulled out of the lot, heading toward Stacey Teller's house.

As they made the turn onto her street, they saw news vans parked up and down the street and reporters and camera crews swarming her house. Gable turned to Bryan, his eyebrows raised.

"Think she'll leave with all this mess?" he asked. Bryan shrugged.

"We'll see," he said, as they parked behind one of the news vans where they had a clear view of her front door. Several minutes later, the crowd around her door erupted as Stacey walked out of her house, shielding her face from them with her hand, her mouth set in a stiff line. Cameras flashed and reporters shouted questions at her as she made a beeline for her car, struggling to get to it through the crowd of people. As soon as she sat in her car, every reporter ran to their vans and jumped in, chasing her down the street.

"Let's go," Bryan directed as Gable pulled out behind a news van several cars behind Stacey's. They could see Stacey swerving to get away from the vans, barreling down neighborhood streets in an effort to lose them.

"Get closer," Bryan said. Gable pulled into the next lane, swerving around news vans to keep up with Stacey. They watched as she barreled through a red light and Bryan grinned.

"Turn 'em on," he said. Gable flipped on his sirens as they chased Stacey through the red light and she pulled to a stop on the side of the road several yards down.

"Am I arresting her for running a red light?" Gable asked. Bryan shrugged.

"She's probably on pain killers for her burns. Bring her in for driving under the influence," he said. Gable nodded, stepping out of the car and walking up to Stacey's window. She rolled it down, looking harried and stressed. For a moment he felt sorry for her, but he reminded himself that this was his shot to help out with a federal investigation and dismissed the feelings almost immediately.

"Something the matter, officer?" Stacey asked him testily as she passed him her license and insurance card.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the car, ma'am," he said. Stacey's eyes widened in surprise.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Step out of the car. Keep your hands where I can see them," he repeated. Stacey rolled her eyes but did as he asked.

"You were driving pretty crazy back there," he commented as he looked down at her license.

"Yeah, if you couldn't see I was trying to get away from those crazy reporters! You should be pulling _them_ over," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. He looked up at her, staring into her eyes.

"Your pupils are dilated. Are you on drugs, Ms. Teller?" he asked. Stacey scoffed at him.

"No, I'm not on drugs," she said.

"Any prescription medication you shouldn't be driving while taking?" he asked. Stacey stared back at him, her lips pursed.

"No," she finally responded.

"Well you seem under the influence to me. I'm going to have to take you into the station until we can do a blood test," he said, tossing her license and insurance card in her car through the open window and flipping her around against the car, slapping handcuffs around her wrists.

"This is bullshit," she grumbled as he led her back to the waiting police car.

"Uh huh, tell it to the judge," he said as he began to Mirandize her before shoving her into the backseat. Stacey sat there seething as the cop pulled away and drove towards the Charming police station.

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**A/N - I really hope you liked this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think! **


	16. Chapter 16

Stacey Teller had made some big mistakes recently, but she wasn't an idiot. She knew the charges against her would be dropped the second they were put before a judge and that there was ulterior motives for bringing her in, so it came as no surprise to her that instead of being placed in a holding cell when they arrived at the station, she was led into the interrogation room. They could hold her in here for hours, and she had no doubt they would take all the time they wanted.

She lay on top of the hard wooden table, staring at the ceiling of the interrogation room. She turned her head to the mirror across from her, wondering who was on the other side of that glass. Whoever it was was taking their sweet time coming to talk to her. She wasn't sure what exactly they were hoping to find out, and she wondered how long it would be until they allowed her that phone call. Had Gemma noticed her absence from the office at the garage yet? Did they know where she was?

After at least an hour, a tall man in a dark suit walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Stacey didn't move as he took a seat at the table, shuffling through some papers. Stacey rolled her eyes to the ceiling before sitting up cross legged on the table, looking down at the man. He finally looked up, smiling broadly at her.

"You must be the good cop," she said sardonically.

"I'm Special Agent Carlson," he said, "Mind coming down and taking a seat?"

"Mind telling me why I'm talking to an FBI agent because of some reckless driving?" Stacey asked him, ignoring his question.

"Oh I'm sure we'll get that all sorted out for you," Carlson said easily, "But it'll probably take a while. In the meantime, I was hoping you could answer some questions for me."

"You can ask me anything you want through my lawyer," Stacey replied.

"But I thought you said it was just reckless driving," Carlson said.

"Are your questions pertaining to my driving?" she asked, "I'll answer whatever questions you have about that, but otherwise I have nothing to say to you."

"What else do you think I would be questioning you about?" Carlson asked. Stacey shrugged.

"You tell me," she responded. Carlson continued smiling up at her, before letting out a small laugh.

"Well seeing as you're here, I suppose you could help me clear up another little matter I'm dealing with," he responded. Stacey crossed her arms in front of her, looking away from him.

"I told you, I don't have anything to say to you," she said.

"Well, then you can just listen," Carlson said, "We've spent several days combing through David Novak's life. He was incredibly good at covering his tracks but fortunately for us, we're better than him. We think we've got most of it pieced together. The only thing that doesn't add up is you. You're the only one that got away."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Stacey retorted. Carlson shook his head.

"On the contrary, Ms. Teller. It's admirable the way you managed to escape him," he said, "But here's what I think. I think after all he put you through, you'd had enough. I'm sure you were terrified he'd try again, and the only way you could see out was if he was dead. So you snuck into his hotel room in Ashland and you shot him." Stacey rolled her eyes.

"That's a nice little story you've worked out there," she said, "But there's one little problem. Brad, or David or whatever his name is, never did anything to me. I broke up with him, found out I was married, and had it annulled. Never heard from him again. I haven't seen him since July."

"Oh really? So he's not responsible for the car accident you were in? Or for the fire?" Carlson asked. Stacey shrugged.

"I have no idea. I didn't see who did either of those things to me. The car accident was a hit and run and as for the fire, as I've already told the police, I was knocked out from behind and when I woke up, the building was on fire and no one was around. I have no idea who did it," she stated.

"Yeah, but you had to have a pretty good idea it was him," Carlson pressed.

"Why would I? I didn't know all that stuff about him until I saw the report on the news. I was as surprised as anyone," Stacey replied easily, "You know, it's pretty fucked up that the only reason you think I had anything to do with his murder is that I'm still alive."

"Uh-huh," Carlson replied, "So where were you that day?"

"Didn't I ask for my lawyer? Isn't there some law that says you can't ask me any more questions until my damn lawyer is here?" Stacey asked.

"But I thought you didn't do anything," Carlson said.

"Yeah, and my lawyer will be more than happy to tell you that again," she snapped.

"That's another thing I find interesting. You're a 22 year old woman. What kind of 22 year old woman has a lawyer on retainer?" Carlson asked. Stacey smirked at him, remaining silent. If there was one thing her abnormal life had taught her, it was when to keep her mouth shut.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Unser walked into the Charming Police Station, taking a lingering look at the two SUVs parked out front that screamed 'Fed'. He sighed as he pushed open the door to see a few suits standing behind the desk, deep in conversation, and narrowed his eyes at them. He wasn't happy that they'd set up shop in his station, but unfortunately 'Fed' trumped 'local PD' any day. His eyes lingered heavily on the closed door to the interrogation room as he strode up to Hale.

"Who've they got in there?" Unser asked. Hale looked over at him, sighing deeply.

"Teller," he responded.

"Which Teller?" Unser asked testily.

"Stacey," Hale replied.

"Shit," Unser muttered under his breath, turning to walk back out of the station.

"Chief!" Hale called as he jogged to catch up to him, "It would be a really bad idea to interfere with a federal investigation."

"I'm not _interfering _with anything," Unser retorted as he stalked back out of the station. He drove as quickly as he could to Teller-Morrow, pulling into the lot to see Gemma rush out of the office towards him.

"Wayne!" she called as he stepped out of his car. He looked over at her, his expression grim, and she came to a halt.

"This is about Stacey isn't it?" Gemma asked, her voice almost shaking with worry, "Where is she? She was supposed to be here hours ago. I've been calling her…" Her voice trailed off as Unser shook his head.

"She's fine," he said quickly, and Gemma breathed a sigh of relief, "Physically, anyway. She was picked up. Feds are questioning her in the interrogation room right now." Gemma narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean they're questioning her right now? Why was she picked up?" she asked.

"I don't know," Unser admitted, "I came here as soon as I knew she was in. Didn't ask any other questions."

"Thanks, Wayne," Gemma said as she ran towards the clubhouse. Wayne watched her leave before getting back in his car and hurrying back to the station before his absence was noticed by anyone else.

Gemma threw open the doors to the clubhouse, looking wildly around the room for Clay. Tig glanced up from his spot on the couch and narrowed his eyes at Gemma's expression.

"What's the matter, Gemma?" he asked.

"Where's Clay?" she asked quickly. Tig jerked his head towards the chapel doors.

"In there with Jax and Opie," he responded. She nodded and raced towards the doors, flinging them open. Clay, Jax, and Opie sat huddled around the table. They all looked up quickly as she burst in.

"Gemma?" Clay asked.

"Stacey's been arrested," Gemma told them. Opie felt ice run down his spine at the words and he sat frozen, his expression hardening as he waited for Gemma to continue, "Wayne just came by to tell me. You need to get Rosen over there NOW." Clay narrowed his eyes and exchanged glances with Opie and Jax before rising from the table and stepping out of the chapel to grab his prepay.

"Arrested for what?" Opie asked angrily. Gemma shook her head.

"He didn't know. Probably some bullshit charge to give them an excuse to question her," she said, "Wayne said they've got her in the interrogation room." They all turned to see Clay walk back into the room looking angry.

"How soon can Rosen get here?" Gemma asked.

"He's on his way now," Clay said. He looked pointedly at Jax and Opie, "Let's go." They both nodded and rose from the table.

"I'm coming with you," Gemma stated firmly.

"I'm not arguing with you," Clay responded as they all raced out of the room. Tig glanced up at them from his spot on the couch.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Stacey's down at the station," Clay explained on his way out. Tig's eyes narrowed as he quickly stood from the couch and raced after them.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey had been in the interrogation room for at least 7 hours, most of which were spent in solitude. She lay back on the table staring up at the ceiling as a different agent walked into the room. Stacey didn't even bother to look at him as he stood over her.

"I'm Special Agent Bryan," he told her, "Please, have a seat, Ms. Teller." She remained silent, steadfastly refusing to look at him. She hadn't said a word to anyone since asking for her lawyer, who they still had not allowed her to call. She knew any decent lawyer would take that information and make anything she said to them inadmissible in court which told Stacey they weren't looking for a confession but for information; any lead to get them on the right track. If that was what they were looking for, they wouldn't be getting it from her.

"Do you want anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Bryan asked. Again, Stacey didn't respond.

"You would make it a lot easier on yourself if you would just answer our questions," he said, "You'd be free to go in just a few minutes." Stacey continued lying on the table, not moving. The agent sat at the table, thumbing through several sheets of paper before he spoke again.

"Heard Carlson's theory about how he thinks you murdered Novak," Bryan commented, "I don't really think you had anything to do with his murder. Not directly, anyway." Stacey frowned, not liking where this was going.

"No… Why would you have to kill anyone when you've got an entire outlaw MC at your disposal?" Bryan asked, a grin spread across his face. Stacey sat up, grinning, looking around the room.

"Where?" she asked sarcastically. Bryan looked up at her before pulling a stack of photos out and laying them on the table. Stacey glanced down at them to see a different mug shot from nearly every member of SAMCRO.

"Nearly every single one of them has served time. Your boyfriend-" he glanced down at his notes before looking back up at her, "Harry 'Opie' Winston. He just got out of jail, didn't he? Five years for attempted arson." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. Stacey rolled her eyes, lying back down on the table.

"Yeah, last I checked attempted arson wasn't murder, and you won't find that charge on any of their rap sheets. You're wasting your time," she said, "They didn't have anything to do with any of this. They're not killers."

"No, I know they did," Bryan said, dropping his 'good cop' demeanor, "You get your marriage annulled, probably after you've already moved on to Winston. Novak takes a few shots in killing you, failing twice, so your new ex-con boyfriend moves in to save the day and kills Novak. I know that's what happened." Stacey sat up, struggling to keep her face impassive as she looked down at him.

"If you're so sure, then why haven't you arrested him?" she asked, her lip curling in a small smirk as Bryan glared at her, "No proof?" Her smile widened as he continued to glare at her before settling his expression back to one of indifference.

"We got the names and addresses of every single person staying at the hotel during the time of the murder. Seems one guest checked out about the same time as the murder," Bryan told her. Stacey raised her eyebrows, nodding.

"Wow," she said, "What a lead you have. With intel like that, it's a wonder there are any unsolved crimes around." Bryan ignored her.

"This same guest," he continued, "Is the only one that paid cash and gave false contact information."

"Sounds like you got your man," Stacey said, "Why isn't he in here answering all your stupid questions instead of me? Thought you had a chance in cracking it out of me?"

"Because, as I'm sure you very well know, the security tapes were put on a loop starting just about an hour before this guest checked into the hotel. No one noticed, and no one can give us a good description," Bryan said.

"It seems to me that Brad, or whatever his name was, made a lot of enemies in his lifetime. All those women he actually killed… I'm sure they all had loved ones that would love to get a piece of him. You've got a huge pool of suspects and you're wasting your time on me and my family," Stacey told him.

Before Bryan could respond, the door burst open and Stacey jumped, looking up to see Rosen stride through the door, briefcase in hand. She breathed a sigh of relief, smiling over at him. Rosen glared at Bryan, who jumped up from his seat.

"Who the hell are you?" Bryan asked angrily.

"Her lawyer," Rosen responded easily, "You know: the one she's been asking for while you've been questioning her illegally. She'll be leaving with me now."

"You can't leave with her. I haven't finished questioning her!" Bryan yelled.

"Yes. You have. Unless you plan on charging her with something, and seeing as how you haven't in the last 7 hours I doubt you will," Rosen responded. Bryan glared at him as Rosen looked over at Stacey, nodding his head towards the door.

"Let's go, Stacey," he said. Stacey scrambled off the table, taking one last smug look at Bryan before following Rosen out of the station.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped through the sliding glass doors and out of the station, a smile spreading across her face as she saw Jax, Opie, Clay, Tig and Gemma waiting for her. Opie was furiously pacing the parking lot smoking a cigarette. He glanced up when the doors opened and relief flooded his face as he tossed his cigarette to the side and ran up to her, engulfing her in his arms.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. She nodded.

"Can we go home?" she asked. Opie looked hesitantly at her and she sighed.

"Reporters still camped out there?" she asked glumly. Opie nodded.

"Yeah, they are," he said. Stacey shook her head.

"I don't care," she said, "I need to sleep in my own bed tonight." Opie nodded, pulling her tight against him.

"You got it," he replied.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Teresa Vega left work at the Ashland Hills Hotel, exhausted from a hard day's work. The hotel, which had been on the verge of shutting down just a few weeks ago due to a lack of guests, had been filled to capacity ever since that crazy guy got killed. For whatever reason, a high profile murder seemed to be good for business, but bad for Teresa.

She wasn't used to working this hard and she didn't like it. Sure, more guests meant the hotel was saved, as was her job, but a part of her didn't care. She liked it the way it was – cleaning ten to fifteen rooms a day, she could be done in a couple of hours. The past few days, however, had been practically torture. Not to mention after those CSI guys had come and gone, who was left to clean up the dead guy's bathroom? Teresa. That had been such a pain in the ass. She definitely deserved a raise for that shit.

She sighed as she walked into the apartment she shared with her older brother, Eddie, dropping her keys on the table and walking into the living room where she collapsed on the couch next to Eddie, rubbing her sore feet.

"What are you watching?" she asked, barely noticing the program on TV.

"News," Eddie replied, "They're covering that Novak guy's murder again."

"Of course they are," Teresa sighed, uninterested, "When do they ever talk about anything else?" She glanced at the TV. The girl that had been married to the dead guy, Stacey or whatever or her name was, was on TV again, trying to walk up to her house through an obvious ambush of reporters. Teresa was about to turn away from the TV when something caught her eye. She frowned, leaning closer to the TV.

"Who're those guys?" she asked, pointing at the screen. Eddie shrugged.

"I dunno, why?" he asked. Teresa shook her head.

"They look familiar," she said quietly, trying to place where she knew them from. Then it dawned on her.

"Holy shit!" she screamed, jumping from her spot on the couch and looking down at her brother.

"What?" he asked, surprised at her outburst.

"Those guys!" she said, pointing at the screen that had now moved on to the next news item, "Those guys were at the hotel the day that guy was murdered. They came up to me right before it happened. I had to pretend not to speak English to get them to go away." She sat back down on the couch as the memories of that day flooded her mind.

"My key card didn't stop working," she murmured to herself before looking over at her brother excitedly, "They took it when I wasn't looking. They're the ones that killed that guy!"

"What?" Eddie said in confusion, "No way."

"Yes!" Teresa exclaimed, "I just solved a murder," she added triumphantly.

"Good for you," Eddie told her, rolling his eyes. She sat down next to him on the couch, her heart racing.

"You didn't tell the cops about them when they questioned you?" Eddie asked her. Teresa shook her head.

"Didn't remember them until just now," she said. She rubbed her sore feet as she thought, her feet reminding her how much she hated hard work, while Eddie sat next to her in thoughtful silence.

"I wonder if they have money…" Eddie mused. Teresa shot her head towards them.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. A slow grin spread across Eddie's face.

"That information's gotta be worth something to them," Eddie said, "We go to them, tell them we know what they did and they have to pay up or we'll go to the police." Teresa grinned.

"You think that'd work?" she asked, her excitement mounting. Eddie shrugged.

"You never know," he said, his mind beginning to formulate a plan.

"Where did it say that girl was from?" Teresa asked.

"Some small town in California," Eddie replied, "Friendly or Polite or something stupid like that. Charming. I think it was Charming." She nodded.

"Well…" she said, "We'll just have to do a little research on our friends from Charming." She smiled to herself, settling back on the couch, daydreaming about quitting her job and getting out of town.

* * *

**A/N - Thanks again so much for reading! This story is nearing it's conclusion, I only see it being one or two more chapters, so I hope you stick with it until the end and I really really hope you like it! Please review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N - So I find myself once again apologizing to all of my amazing readers for such a late update. On top of this being a tough chapter for me to write, the fall is always a tough time for me, working around the clock Monday-Friday. The weekends are the only time I have, and I've been out of town the last three in a row, so this has been the first time I've been able to sit down and work on this. I must say, it was a little therapeutic after last week's intense episode. **

**So anyway, here it is. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up in a more timely manner. I'm planning on spending most of my day today working on it. **

* * *

Stacey couldn't help but smile to herself as, for the first time in weeks, she was able to pull up to her house without worrying about a swarm of reporters hovering around. Undoubtedly due to the next scandal gracing the front pages, they'd finally decided to move on and Stacey had regained some peace and quiet in her life.

The feds had also finally realized they were wasting their time staying in Charming, so they too had tucked their tail between their legs, packed up, and went back to San Francisco. Good riddance. Stacey knew they hadn't given up on them, but she was feeling much more confident that they wouldn't find a single thing linking any of them to Brad's murder. For the first time since her break up with Brad, she was beginning to regain a sense of normalcy in her life. She was already looking forward to classes starting up again in January, even if she would have to take most of the same classes over due to the incompletes she'd received from dropping out before the end of the semester.

She had just put her key in the lock when the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway caused her to turn around. She smiled at the familiar car as Kara stepped out, arms crossed and glaring, but her eyes didn't look as angry as she was trying to appear. Stacey just smiled at her.

"I know I know, I've been a terrible friend," she said, opening the door, "Come in."

As Kara followed her inside the house, neither of them noticed the unfamiliar blue sedan parked across the street, nor the two figures inside the car watching them carefully.

"So how's it going?" Stacey asked easily as they both took a seat on the couch, causing Kara to roll her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "I've been seeing all those reports on the news, and you weren't returning my calls. Leslie's either. We've been worried." Stacey nodded apologetically.

"I know, I'm sorry. I wasn't talking to anybody for a long time, just… dealing with stuff," Stacey said, tucking her hair behind her ear. Kara's eyes widened as she caught sight of the burn marks covering Stacey's arm.

"Shit, Stacey," she murmured, her eyebrows creasing in concern. Stacey glanced at her arm then back at Kara, shaking her head.

"I'm okay," she insisted.

"Who did it to you?" Kara asked quietly. Stacey shook her head.

"I don't know," she lied, "Opie saved my life, though. Ran into a burning building to get me out." A small smile graced her lips as she thought about everything Opie had done for her. Kara smiled back at her.

"Well thank him from me," she said and Stacey nodded.

"How are you dealing with all that stuff about Brad?" Kara asked, "I can't believe he turned out to be a psychopath." Stacey scowled.

"Yeah, well, he's dead. So that helps me deal," she responded. Kara nodded, looking questioningly at her friend.

"So no idea what happened there either?" she asked. Stacey looked hesitatingly across at her friend before slowly shaking her head.

"No idea," she said, "We broke up awhile back. I hadn't given him much thought with everything else going on until I saw the report on the news. I was as shocked as anybody else." She was so used to giving the familiar cover story by now that she was almost starting to believe it. Kara nodded, her eyes starting to well up.

"I'm sorry," Kara said, wiping the tears out of her eyes, "I just don't know what I would've done if he had done something to you." Stacey leaned over, hugging Kara, who gripped her back, "I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered. Stacey pulled away, giving her a small smile.

"I'm really sorry I shut you out, Kare," Stacey said, "Leslie, too. There's a party tonight at the clubhouse. You should come. Leslie, too." Kara looked down at what she was wearing – shorts and a tshirt – and looked skeptically back up at Stacey.

"You can borrow something of mine," Stacey insisted, "I'll call Leslie and invite her out. I need to apologize to her, too." Kara nodded as Stacey grabbed her phone out of her purse to call Leslie.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"She's coming out again," Teresa said, nudging her brother on the shoulder as they watched three girls, all dressed in short skirts and heels, make their way out of the front door to Stacey's car.

"I see 'er," he grumbled. They'd been parked outside of Stacey's house for hours trying to get a lead on the murderers. They watched as Stacey's car backed out of the driveway and Eddie eased away from the curb, following Stacey out of the neighborhood and trying to stay a safe enough distance away so they wouldn't be spotted.

"What's she doing going to a mechanic dressed like that and at this time of night?" Teresa asked as they watched Stacey pull into the lot of Teller-Morrow Automotive.

"Isn't Stacey's last name Teller?" Eddie asked. Teresa nodded.

"Yeah, yeah you're right. So this must be like her family's business or something," she said as Eddie parked across the street.

They both peered across, seeing a huge crowd gathered outside on the lot surrounding a boxing ring. Eddie's eyes scanned the sign mounted on the overhang over the ring that proudly proclaimed: Sons of Anarchy, MC. By the looks of all the motorcycles lined up in the lot, he knew MC had to stand for Motorcycle Club, but he'd never heard of the Sons of Anarchy. Teresa suddenly started tapping Eddie's shoulder excitedly, pointing out of the window.

"That's him, that's him!" she shrieked as Eddie looked over at her, annoyed, before looking back at where she was pointing. They watched as Stacey walked up to an extremely tall, bearded man, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked. Teresa nodded.

"Definitely," she said, "I mean, he was dressed a lot nicer when I saw him at the hotel… a lot less leather… but that's definitely him."

"I think he's looking at us," Eddie said, sinking lower in his seat.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey grinned as Opie spotted her and made his way across the lot towards her. He said hi to Kara and Leslie before Stacey threw her arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss.

"Don't look now," Stacey said quietly in his ear, her arms still hanging on his shoulders, "But we were followed over here." Opie raised his eyebrows in alarm.

"By who?" he asked.

"Blue car, 6 o'clock," she replied. Opie looked over her shoulder and across the street from the lot, nodding as he spotted the car.

"I don't recognize it," he said, "Where did they follow you from?" Stacey shrugged, looking back at Kara and Leslie.

"Um… I'm not positive, but I think I remember seeing that car across the street from your house when I pulled up," Leslie said nervously. Opie narrowed his eyes pensively at her before turning back to look at Stacey.

"Well if _you _made them they're obviously a bunch of idiots," he said, grinning as she rolled her eyes at him, "Probably just curious about Brad's murder or something." Stacey sighed, nodding.

"Just when I was starting to think this was over. I wish everyone would leave me alone," she said. He grinned, pulling her closer.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. She smiled back at him.

"Well not you," she said and he laughed, kissing her lightly before nodding his head toward the clubhouse.

"Come on, let's go inside," he said, leading them through the crowd to the doors of the clubhouse. Opie spotted Juice at the bar with a croweater and walked over to him.

"Hey I need you to do something for me," Opie said to him. Juice looked up, nodding.

"Someone tailed Stacey over here. Blue car, parked across the street. See if you can get the plates off the security camera and run them," he said. Juice nodded, turning back to the croweater.

"NOW," Opie said firmly and Juice jumped, hopping up from his seat and walking over to his office in the corner of the room. Stacey watched as Kara's eyes followed Juice appreciatively and gave her a knowing look. Kara blushed when she caught Stacey's eye and grinned.

"He's hot," she said, shrugging. Stacey laughed before turning back to Opie.

"So you think this car is something to worry about?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Probably not," he said, taking the beers offered by the croweater behind the bar and passing them around to Stacey, Kara, and Leslie, "But worth checking out." Several minutes later Juice walked up to Opie with a sheet of paper in his hand looking troubled.

"We might have a problem, Opie," he said. Opie narrowed his eyes, looking at Juice before snatching the paper out of his hand. His eyes raked over the sheet of paper before he turned them back up to Juice.

"This is who is in that car out there?" he asked. Juice shrugged.

"That's who the car belongs to," he said, "They split while I was running the information." he said. Opie turned to Stacey.

"I gotta go talk to Clay and Jax," he told her.

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked. Opie shook his head, glancing over at Kara and Leslie.

"I'll tell you later," he said. She nodded her head begrudgingly as he gave her a light kiss on the forehead before walking off to find Clay and Jax. Stacey tried to shake the worry off of her as she watched the three of them walk into the chapel and close the door behind them.

"So what's the story with that guy?" Kara asked as the girls all took a seat at one of the tables, beers in hand. Stacey grinned, glancing over at where Juice stood at the bar, now talking to Chibs.

"That's Juice," she said in explanation and Kara raised her eyebrows. She'd heard Stacey talk a lot about Juice but had yet to meet him.

"You've been holding out," Kara said grinning. Stacey laughed, grateful to be able to have a normal conversation with her girlfriends.

"He's a great guy," Stacey said sincerely, "One of the best, actually."

"Well I think I'll go introduce myself," she said, smiling slyly as she chugged the rest of her beer and slid out of her chair. Stacey watched as she sidled up to Juice at the bar before turning her attention to Leslie, who was giving her a look that plainly read 'I know everything's not as great as you're trying to make it seem.'

"Don't give me that look," Stacey said, grinning at her. Leslie shook her head.

"What's really going on here, Stacey?" Leslie asked, "I know you're worried about that car." Stacey shrugged.

"Yes, well, as you heard, nobody tells me anything, so I have no idea who was in that car," she replied.

"But why would anyone be following you?" Leslie persisted, "Does this have something to do with Brad?"

"Brad's dead, Leslie," Stacey reminded her. When Leslie remained looking unconvinced, she said, "Look, I don't really want to talk about any of that stuff, okay? I'm trying to put it behind me." Leslie bit her lip, looking like she didn't want the conversation to be finished, but finally nodded.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"So what's the problem?" Clay asked as he, Jax and Opie took a seat at the table in the Chapel.

"Stacey had a tail on her, followed her to the clubhouse," Opie said, "I had Juice run the plates." He looked at Jax, who was frowning, his eyes narrowed, "The car belongs to the maid at the hotel. The one we swiped the card from." Clay sighed, leaning back in his seat, his eyes rolling to the ceiling.

"You shitheads," he muttered.

"How did she find us?" Jax asked. Opie shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. She did. Question is, what are we going to do about it?" he said. He turned to look at Clay, who shook his head, sighing.

"No witnesses, remember?" Clay growled, "All you had to do was make sure there were NO GODDAMN WITNESSES." Opie glared at him.

"We had to get the key from her," he reminded Clay. Clay rubbed his hands wearily over his face.

"Figure out what she wants," he finally said, "She obviously hasn't gone to the police yet. You need to handle it before she does." Opie and Jax exchanged glances, nodding, before walking out of the chapel. They scanned the room and made a beeline to Juice, who was still standing at the bar flirting with Kara.

"I need you to find out if she's still in town," Opie told him. Juice glanced at Kara and shrugged regretfully before heading back to his computer, Jax following him. Opie and Kara walked back over to where Stacey was sitting with Leslie. Kara took a seat and Opie jerked his head at Stacey, motioning for her to follow him. She shrugged at Kara and Leslie before standing up, following him to the hallway by the kitchen.

"So this is bad?" Stacey asked. Opie shrugged.

"Don't know yet," he said, "But yeah, it could be." Stacey wrapped her arms around Opie's neck, standing on her tip toes to brush her lips lightly across his.

"You'll figure it out," she said confidently, "It'll be okay." Opie gave her a small smile, running his hands over her arms.

"Thanks, babe," he said. His eyes flicked over Stacey's shoulder and she turned to see Juice and Jax waving him over, Juice looking triumphant and Jax determined. Opie looked down at Stacey.

"I don't want you leaving here without a patch," he told her.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked. Opie looked back over at Juice and Jax, watching as Clay joined them, and nodded.

"Looks like it," he said.

"Okay, I'll get Juice to follow us home later," she said. Opie nodded, kissing Stacey one more time.

"I love you," he said before heading over to Juice, Jax, and Clay.

"I love you, too," Stacey said quietly to Opie's retreating back before making her way back to the table with Leslie and Kara.

"Juice found a room in Charming booked under the girl's brother's name," Jax said as Opie walked up. He nodded.

"Well at least we know we're not dealing with criminal masterminds here," he said, annoyed that this whole business with the maid was coming back to bite them in the ass, "So we going over there?" he asked. Jax nodded, looking at Clay.

"Bring Tig with you," Clay told them, "Call me when you have any information." They nodded and Jax went to pull Tig away from several croweaters.

"I'll be back ladies," Tig called to them as Opie and Jax pulled him out of the clubhouse, "Stay right there!"

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Opie, Jax, and Tig pulled up to the only motel in Charming and hopped off their bikes, their eyes scanning the room numbers. They strode purposefully up to a room on the first floor and Tig banged loudly on the door until he heard someone call from behind it.

"Who is it?" a male voice asked.

"Room service," Tig responded snarkily.

"Um… we didn't order any room service," the voice responded, sounding slightly nervous.

"Open the goddamn door before I bust it open," Tig said, his annoyance that he had to be pulled away from the prospect of a threesome to deal with these idiots growing. The raging case of blue balls going on in his pants did nothing to appease his anger. The door opened a fraction, held closed by a chain, and the eye of Eddie Vega peered at them from the gap.

"What do you-" he started to say, but Tig kicked the door the rest of the way open before he had a chance to finish his sentence, breaking the chain off the door in the process. Opie, Jax, and Tig pushed their way into the room to see Teresa sitting cross legged on a bed in the room, looking at them with wide eyes before regaining her composure. She smiled at them, rising from the bed and joining her brother to stand before them.

"Hola," Jax said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and his face set stonily as he looked at her. She smiled at him, tilting her head slightly.

"Hi," she responded.

"So you do speak English," Jax said. Teresa shrugged.

"Yeah, well, I have to pretend not to when horny white boys won't leave me alone," she responded, but her accent was still apparent.

"Why are you here?" Opie asked, his arms crossed menacingly across his chest. Teresa turned to look at him.

"I know what you did," she said, "We want money." Jax smirked at her.

"What exactly is it you _think_ we did?" he asked.

"You killed that guy," Teresa spat at him, "I know it was you. You took my card when I wasn't looking and you killed him. You'll go to jail unless you pay up." Tig chuckled, resting his hands on his hips as he brushed his cut back to display the gun he wore.

"And tell me why we shouldn't just kill you now?" Tig said. Teresa barely flinched, recovering quickly as she looked at him, trying to mask her nerves.

"Because we're not stupid," she said, "We have things in place, in case something happened to us while we were down here." Tig narrowed his eyes at her.

"She's lying," he stated, pulling his gun out and pointing it at her. Eddie made a sudden movement and Opie whipped his gun out, training it on Eddie. Teresa's nostrils flared slightly as she looked between them all. Spending her formative years in Juarez before her and Eddie had finally made it out of that hell hole, this wasn't the first time she'd had a gun in her face. These guys might think they were tough, but they were nothing compared to the cartels.

"I'm not lying," she said firmly, "You kill us, there will be a clear trail leading back to you." Jax glared at her, his mind thinking fast.

"Hang on," he said. Neither Opie nor Tig lowered their weapons.

"How much do you want?" Jax asked.

"100 thousand," Teresa responded, staring down the barrel of the gun in her face, some of her bravado beginning to waver.

"What makes you think we have that kind of money?" Jax asked. Teresa slowly moved her eyes from the gun to Jax, her eyes raking over the Vice President patch on his cut, before looking him squarely in the eye.

"You can either kill us now or get us the money," Teresa said, "Only one of those ways ends up with you not in jail." Jax looked between her, Opie, and Tig, an idea formulating in his head.

"Come on," he said, nodding towards the door, "We need to talk." Opie and Tig nodded, backing out of the room, not lowering the guns until the door was shut behind them.

"What the fuck, Jax?" Tig asked. Jax shook his head.

"We can't kill them here," he said, "She's right. Even if she is lying about having anything in place, two dead bodies in Charming, one of whom is a link to Brad's murder, is a straight line back to us. We gotta be smart about this." Tig sighed, nodding in agreement.

"So what's your play?" he asked. Jax eyed the door of the room before turning back to Opie and Tig.

"We can make this work for us," he said, "Get all the heat off of us."

"How?" Opie asked.

"We tell them we'll pay them the money," Jax said, "If they'll go to the cops, say they saw someone else do it."

"Someone like who?" Opie asked. Jax shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," he said, "She just has to give them a description of someone that isn't us."

"Father of the bride," Opie said and Jax looked at him, "He finds out his daughter's about to marry a psychopath and he kills him." Jax nodded, looking over at Tig who was looking like he really wanted to put a bullet in someone's skull tonight.

"We're gonna have eyes on us forever if no one takes the fall. The club can't afford that," Jax told him.

"Yeah, okay," Tig said begrudgingly.

"So how do we do this?" Opie asked.

"We tell them we'll give them half now, half after they've gone to the police," Jax said.

"And then we kill them?" Tig asked. Jax looked over at him. He didn't like the idea of killing them, but the idiots hadn't given them much of a choice.

"We'll see," he responded. Tig looked like he was going to argue but he didn't say anything.

"It's gonna take a few days to get that kind of money together," Opie reminded him. Jax shrugged.

"We gotta do what we gotta do," he replied.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey sat at home a week later flicking through the TV channels, waiting for Opie to get back from a quick run. She stopped at a breaking news story, her eyes widening as she turned the volume up.

"New information has just been released on the unsolved murder of David Novak," a reporter was saying, "An eye witness has just surfaced, claiming to have seen the father of Novak's fiancé, James Swinton, exiting Novak's hotel room wearing gloves and blood splattered clothes. An arrest has been made and Swinton will now await trial for the murder."

Stacey frowned at the TV as Opie walked through the front door, looking tired but less stressed than he had in weeks. She stood, crossing her arms in front of her chest. He looked at her appraisingly.

"What?" he asked cautiously, an amused grin spreading across his face at her disdainful look.

"James Swinton was just arrested for Brad's murder," she told him. He nodded.

"Yeah, I know," he said, sighing and taking a seat on the couch.

"What happened, Ope?" she asked. He glanced up at her.

"How much do you want to know?" he asked. She sighed, picking up the remote and flicking the TV off.

"I want to know it all," she said firmly. Opie leaned back on the couch, nodding.

"Maid from the hotel made us," he said sighing. Stacey's eyes widened.

"Is that who was in the car at the clubhouse last week?" she asked. Opie nodded.

"Blackmailed us for money or she'd go to the cops. Made a deal – we pay her, she tells the cops she saw Swinton."

"Jesus Christ, Opes," she said, sitting next to him on the couch. He shrugged.

"Couldn't do anything else," he said, "Needed to get the heat off us." Stacey shook her head.

"And now an innocent man is going to prison for something he didn't do," she murmured, wondering how this had all gotten so messy.

"What? You want us to go turn ourselves in to get him out?" Opie asked. She turned to look at him.

"Of course not," she said, "But you need to fix this." Opie looked over at her, shaking his head and smirking.

"You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" he asked. She smiled despite herself, leaning against him.

"I'll fix this," Opie finally said, "But you can't ask me how." She looked up at him, worry dancing behind her eyes, and finally nodded.

"Yeah, okay," she agreed reluctantly.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Jax snapped his phone shut as he turned to look at Opie and Clay, who were sitting in their seats in the chapel.

"She agreed to the drop off," Jax replied. Clay puffed on his cigar, looking up at Jax.

"I don't want any of SAMCRO involved in this," he said, "Too risky." Jax nodded.

"I'll call Happy," he replied. Clay nodded.

"Tell him to get the cleaner after he's done," Clay replied, "Make it look like they ran off to avoid testifying. Don't need any more bodies found." Jax nodded.

"It'll get done," he replied.

"Any other witnesses we gotta worry about coming out of the woodwork to finger you?" Clay asked, annoyance in his voice. Jax looked over at him angrily.

"No," he said shortly, "No one else saw us." Clay looked over at Opie, who shook his head. Satisfied, Clay leaned back in his chair.

"Good. Let's get this over with," he said.

* * *

**Another thanks to everyone who continues to read and review! I love and appreciate you all, and at times when work is consuming my life, it's you who gives me the motivation to continue, so if you have a second, I'd love to hear your thoughts! **


	18. Chapter 18

Happy Lowman leaned against the counter of the kitchen, taking a drag of his cigarette as he surveyed his handy work. He felt his prepay vibrate in his pocket and dug it out, recognizing the number on the caller ID before he flipped it open.

"Is it finished?" Clay's weary voice echoed through the phone.

"Yeah," Happy responded, "Just waitin' on Bachman." Happy checked his watch. The job hadn't taken as long as he'd anticipated and he still had a quarter of an hour until the cleaner was supposed to arrive.

"Good. Knew I could count on you," Clay said. Happy felt the corners of his mouth twitch as he closed the phone, looking again at the two dead bodies sprawled unnaturally around their living room. He allowed himself to briefly wonder what these two idiots could possibly have done to cross SAMCRO before shaking it off. It wasn't his job to wonder. He'd done his job and now he just needed Bachman to get there and do what he did best – make sure it looked like none of this had ever happened.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey sat at the desk in the TM office printing invoices when she heard the door open and glanced up to see Juice walk in. She smiled up at him, leaning back in her chair and thankful for the distraction from the menial office paperwork. He smiled back, taking a seat next to her.

"So how's it going?" he asked. Stacey shrugged.

"Oh you know – paperwork is very stimulating," she responded. He chuckled, nodding.

"So my friend Kara," Stacey began, grinning broadly at Juice, "She thinks you're really hot." Juice grinned.

"Yeah?" he asked, before clearing his throat, "I mean, yeah. Who doesn't?" he joked, puffing his chest out slightly. Stacey laughed, shaking her head.

"And so modest!" she teased.

"What can I say? I'm the total package," he said, grinning. He leaned back in his chair, looking across at Stacey.

"So which one's Kara?" he asked. Stacey rolled her eyes and threw a crumpled up piece of paper at him.

"You should call her," she responded. Juice nodded and seemed to think about it for a second before shrugging and changing the subject.

"So I thought you'd want to know," he said, "James Swinton was released a couple hours ago due to lack of evidence. The Feds are officially calling the case closed. They won't be doing anymore investigating." Stacey breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God," she said, leaning over and wrapping her arms around Juice in a hug. Stacey heard the door open again and broke away from Juice to see Opie walk in the door. He glared at Juice, who cowered slightly until Stacey pulled Opie out of the office.

"Did I interrupt something?" Opie asked fiercely. Stacey rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Of course not," she said, pressing up against him and wrapping her arms around his neck, "He was just telling me how you came through on James Swinton." Opie nodded, looking back at the closed office door before turning his attention back to Stacey.

"I'll just have to show my appreciation later at home," she continued slyly, running her fingers lightly through his hair. His lips twitched slightly before he gave her a small smile. He leaned down, kissing her territorially.

"You know I still got a dorm here," he said quietly as they pulled apart, "You could show your appreciation now." Stacey giggled, a yelp of surprise escaping her lips as he flung her over his shoulder, patting her lightly on the ass as he carried her into the clubhouse.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

**3 months later**

Stacey pulled up to the clubhouse with Kara and Leslie and they filed out of the car. Leslie looked around the crowded, overflowing lot and shook her head, grinning.

"They sure take any reason to celebrate, don't they?" Leslie asked. Stacey laughed, nodding.

"They don't need a reason to celebrate," she replied. Kara scanned the lot before taking off. Stacey smiled happily as she watched her jump into Juice's arms, who grinned broadly and kissed her as he held her up. Stacey hooked her arm with Leslie's as she pulled her towards the clubhouse door.

"C'mon, let's get a drink," she said. As they walked inside, an eruption of roars and whistles echoed around the room and Stacey laughed as she was greeted at the bar by Opie and Jax, who handed them each a beer.

"To Stacey going back to school!" Jax said, raising his glass. Stacey grinned, taking a sip before kissing Opie lightly in hello. He slung his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him, trying to remember the last time she'd allowed herself to feel this happy.

It had been 3 months since Juice had delivered the news that it was all over and it had been another several weeks before Stacey had finally been able to breathe and actually believe that it was finally over. Now, Brad just seemed like a bad dream from long ago.

"I want to go with you," Opie told her as they took a seat on the barstools. Stacey looked over at him, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"What? To class?" she asked. Opie nodded.

"It's too far. I don't want you going by yourself," Opie told her. Stacey rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her beer.

"Opie, It's only an hour away and the threat has been neutralized," Stacey responded, trying hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, "You don't need to worry anymore." Opie frowned, looking over at her.

"Stacey, there will always be threats," he told her, "And I will always be worried about you." Stacey sighed, shaking her head.

"Opie, I can't just stop living my life, so you better just get used to the worry because vet school is 4 years. You're not going to drive me to Davis 3 days a week for the next 4 years. You have a job," she reminded him. Opie sighed, leaning over to kiss her lightly on the forehead.

"I'm just worried about you," he said. Stacey nodded, curling an arm around his neck.

"I know. But I've lived in fear long enough. I'm not doing it anymore," she said. He gave her a small smile, relenting.

"You know how proud I am of you?" he asked, taking her arm and rubbing his thumb lightly over the scars that would never go away. Instead of jerking her arm away, however, Stacey just gave him a small smile.

"After everything that happened, you're still going after what you want," he said, flicking his eyes up to hers. Her smile widened and she nodded, leaning closer to him.

"Well you of all people should know I always get what I want," she said.

"Well she should, I raised her," Gemma said, walking up to them and interrupting their moment. Stacey grinned, shaking her head at Opie as she turned to look at her mother.

"Hi mom," she said. Gemma beamed at her, her arms outstretched as she pulled Stacey into a hug.

"Hi,baby," Gemma said, kissing her on the forehead, "I'm so happy you're going back to school." Stacey grinned, nodding.

"That's good, since you're paying for it," she joked. Gemma rolled her eyes, patting her lightly on the cheek.

"Smartass," Gemma replied, "Well have fun tonight." Stacey nodded, grinning.

"I will," she said.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

**Epilogue  
5 years later **

Stacey grabbed her purse from behind the counter before glancing around her empty office one last time, the lingering feeling that she was forgetting something plaguing her. She shrugged it off and walked to the door, taking one last look around before reaching up to flick off the lights. Before she could open the door, however, there was a frantic rap from the opposite side. She opened the door to see Juice standing there, supporting Tig who had his arm draped around Juice's shoulder.

"Jesus," Stacey muttered as Juice shoved past her, hauling Tig through the door.

"What happened?" Stacey asked as Juice brought him through the reception area and back to the room designated for Stacey's patients, "I thought you guys were all in Nevada this week." Juice shook his head as Tig groaned, lying face down on the table. Stacey glanced down at him, raising her eyebrows as she saw the blood pooling through his jeans.

"What, he get shot in the ass?" Stacey asked. Juice looked like he was struggling to hide a smile as he responded.

"Nah… uh… Doberman, actually," Juice said. Stacey rolled her eyes as she grabbed gloves from a drawer.

"I'm not even gonna ask," she muttered. She slid her wedding ring off her finger, placing it carefully on the counter, before sliding the gloves on and walking back over to Tig.

"You guys know I work on _animals_, right?" she asked.

"So Tig qualifies, then," Juice said, grinning broader.

"I am gonna chop your balls off," Tig grumbled from the table. Stacey exchanged a muffled laugh with Juice before looking back at Tig.

"Why didn't you guys take her to Tara?" She asked as she began cutting the denim around Tig's wound. Juice shrugged, shuffling his feet guiltily.

"Don't want Jax to know?" she guessed. Juice shrugged and Stacey shook her head, grinning as she began disinfecting the wound, "You know he's my brother, right? And I'm his best friend's wife?"

"Yeah, but we're, like, friends," Juice reminded her, "Figured we could… keep this between us." Stacey laughed, nodding.

"Yeah, whatever," she replied before walking back to the cabinets, bending down to grab her suture kit. She walked back over to Tig, giving him a shot of local anesthesia and he let out a soft moan.

"Thanks, doc," Tig mumbled from the table and Stacey grinned.

"Oh you know how much I love a chance to stare at your bare ass for twenty minutes," she said as she hopped up on the counter to let the anesthesia take effect. Juice walked over to her, leaning against the counter next to her.

"So how's business?" he asked. Stacey shrugged, nodding.

"It's not hard to find business when you're the only vet in town," she said grinning.

"Good point," Juice responded, "And the rug rat?" he asked, referring to Opie and Stacey's ten-month old daughter, Emily. Stacey smiled at the nick name.

"She's perfect," she said, looking over to check the clock, "And probably asleep by now."

"Sorry for keeping you," Juice said. Stacey shook her head.

"Nah, it's okay. Opie doesn't get a lot of time to spend with her alone," she said, "It'll be good for them."

Juice smiled, looking up at his friend. After the rocky start Stacey and Opie had to their relationship, he had to admit, he never thought they'd make it this far. But after making it through everything, it was pretty clear to everyone that nothing could tear them apart at this point.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

Stacey walked quietly into her dark and quiet house, flipping the lights on as she entered and walked into the living room, setting her purse down on the coffee table. She smiled as she turned to the couch to see Opie sleeping on his back, one hand curled behind his head and the other wrapped around the sleeping baby on his chest.

She stood for a moment watching them, not wanting to interrupt the perfect scene, before walking over and kissing first Emily and then Opie lightly on the forehead. He opened his eyes groggily and looked up at Stacey, smiling as he sat up slowly, carefully trying not to wake the baby.

"Hi," she whispered, rubbing her hand lightly along the soft patch of Emily's hair before turning back to Opie and kissing him on the lips.

"Hi," he responded, standing up and cradling Emily in his arms, "How was work?" Stacey grinned, pausing before responding.

"Interesting," she said. He smiled back at her as he led her down the hall to the room they had converted into Emily's nursery. He lowered the baby lovingly into her crib and wrapped his arm around Stacey's shoulder as they watched her sleep for a moment. Stacey looked down at the precious being, loving her more with every sweet breath she took.

"We did good, huh?" Stacey asked, looking up at Opie. He nodded, not taking his eyes off of the baby.

"Yeah," he responded, finally looking over at Stacey and smiling, "We did real good."

"How was she?" Stacey asked. Opie rubbed his hand down Stacey's back, smiling.

"She was great," he responded, "She missed you."

"I missed her, too," she said, leaning against him, "And I missed you." Opie grinned as they quietly walked out of the room and into their bedroom. He wrapped her in his arms, leaning down to kiss her.

"Have I told you I love you today?" he asked. Stacey smiled, shaking her head slowly. He kissed her again.

"Well, I love you today," he responded. Stacey laughed, looking up at him.

"I love you, too," she said.

* * *

_**Thank you so much to all my readers! I love and appreciate each and every one of you! This story is now officially finished. I hope you all enjoyed it and please leave a review and let me know what you think - I'd love to hear from you!  
**_


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